Jose Altuve HR puts Astros on brink of another World Series - ESPN

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Houston Astros are on the verge of reaching the World Series, again, because of Jose Altuve.

Altuve clubbed a three-run homer off Texas Rangers reliever Jose Leclerc in the top of the ninth inning, and after barely holding a lead through the bottom of the ninth, Houston — which had lost the first two games of the American League Championship Series — completed a sweep of three games here Friday night.

Houston needs only to win Game 6 or Game 7 to capture the best-of-seven series and advance to the World Series for the fifth time in the past seven seasons.

«That's one of the craziest games I ever played in,» Altuve said on the field after the game, and he wasn't exaggerating. In the last three innings were two lead-changing homers, three ejections (one including Houston manager Dusty Baker), a brief delay as Baker refused to leave the Astros dugout, and a leaping catch in the bottom of the ninth inning by a fielder making his first-ever appearance on defense in a postseason game.

«That was a huge, huge victory,» Baker said. «That will go down in history.»

Added Rangers manager Bruce Bochy: «It's just a tough one, no getting around it. It's part of the game and what you have to deal with. And good clubs deal with it in the right way, and these guys, they'll put this behind them.»

It had appeared the Rangers would win this emotional game, after coming back against a future Hall of Famer. The Astros took a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth inning, and with ace Justin Verlander on the mound and the best Houston relievers fully rested, they were well-positioned to close out the game. But that lead evaporated in the span of three pitches: Corey Seager doubled, Evan Carter singled and Adolis Garcia attacked