Tampa Bay beat Houston, 4-2, in Game 7 of the ALCS on Saturday night at Petco Park in San Diego to advance to the World Series for the second time in franchise history. They will face the winner of Sunday’s NLCS Game 7 between the Dodgers and Braves.
The Rays’ victory also prevented the Astros from having a chance to win a title the same year they were found by MLB to have used an illegal sign-stealing scheme on their way to the 2017 World Series championship.
Houston was just the second team to have forced a Game 7 after dropping the first three games of a playoff series, joining the 2004 Red Sox. Unlike Boston, though, the Astros couldn’t finish the job.
Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash admitted he felt the pressure of potentially blowing the series.
Tampa Bay hit a pair of homers off Houston starter Lance McCullers Jr. to provide enough offense. The biggest blow came from October star Randy Arozarena, who gave the Rays a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
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