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SPORTS Saturday 12 OctOber 2019
Cole, Astros beat Rays 6-1 in ALDS Game 5; Yankees next

By KRISTIE RIEKEN dium.
HOUSTON (AP) — All season The Rays beat Oakland in
long, it seemed inevitable. the AL wild-card game,
Yankees-Astros for the then won Games 3 and
American League pen- 4 against the Astros to ex-
nant. tend their first playoff run
"It's the matchup that we since 2013.
wanted," Houston shortstop But facing Cole, the Rays
Carlos Correa said. "It's the were in trouble — especial-
matchup that everybody ly after Altuve, Alex Breg-
wants to watch. It's must- man and the Astros scored
see TV right there. So every- four times in the first against
body is going to be tuning Tyler Glasnow, who said af-
in. It's going to be fun." terward it was pretty obvi-
Houston made it happen ous he was tipping pitches.
Thursday night as Gerrit "You get a taste of this, you
Cole pitched another play- want to keep going," Rays
off masterpiece and the manager Kevin Cash said.
Astros jumped to a quick "Today we kind of got out-
lead, turning back the powered. Outpowered on
Tampa Bay Rays 6-1 in the the mound and obviously
deciding Game 5 of their at the plate."
AL Division Series. Cole followed his 15-strike-
On deck, the heavyweight out gem in a Game 2 win
matchup so many fans with another overpower-
were anticipating: Jose Al- ing effort. The right-hander,
tuve and the 107-win As- who was drafted by the
tros against Aaron Judge Yankees out of high school
and the 103-win Yankees. but didn't sign, improved to
Game 1 is Saturday night in 18-0 in his last 24 starts. Houston Astros starting pitcher Gerrit Cole, left, delivers against the Tampa Bay Rays during the
Houston — the Astros won "This team is special, and first inning of Game 5 of a baseball American League Division Series in Houston, Thursday, Oct.
four of seven meetings this the reason that we're spe- 10, 2019.
season. cial is because different Associated Press
"This is two incredible pow- guys step up every sin-
erhouse teams," Houston gle night," Bregman said. After winning an MLB-best The Astros will make their single to left field added
ace Justin Verlander said. "Yeah, if one guy goes off and franchise-record 107 seventh appearance in an another. Houston's five hits
"We'll find ourselves in the we're probably going to games in the regular sea- LCS and are the first team and four runs set franchise
middle of the ring here in a win. Gerrit went off twice son, the Astros were de- to reach the ALCS three playoff records for most hits
couple of days and we'll be this series." termined not to suffer the seasons in a row since the and runs in the first inning.
going at it." Cole topped the majors same fate as the Dodg- Detroit Tigers did it from Eric Sogard hit a solo homer
After fellow aces Zack Gre- with 326 strikeouts this sea- ers, winners of 106 games, 2011-13. in the Tampa Bay second
inke and Verlander were son, led the AL with a 2.50 who were ousted from the Altuve's shot gave him 11 in his first start in almost a
unable to close out the ERA and posted 20 wins, playoffs by the wild-card postseason homers to pass month while dealing with
scrappy Rays on the road, one behind Verlander for Nationals on Wednesday Chase Utley for most all- a foot injury. But Tampa
Cole made sure Houston most in the big leagues. He night. time by a second base- Bay managed only a sin-
moved on. Given a 4-0 tried to stick to what got him Houston had been out- man. gle by Ji-Man Choi in the
cushion in the first inning, this far and not alter his ap- scored 14-4 in the last two Cole extended his major fourth and a walk by Travis
he dominated through the proach on Thursday night games, but looked sharp at league record by striking d'Arnaud to start the sev-
eighth, striking out 10 and even though the stakes home, where it went 60-21 out at least 10 batters for enth against Cole.
allowing just two hits. were so much higher. in the regular season. the 11th straight game, a Roberto Osuna pitched a
"I'm just going to treat it like "You're not naive to the A day after the Cardinals stretch where he's fanned hitless ninth to finish off the
it's the next game, man," situation you're in, but you scored a postseason-re- 135. win.
said Cole, who grew up a can't afford to treat it any cord 10 runs in the first in- Cole pitched a 1-2-3 third Cash had said he thought
Yankees fan. "I mean, we different," he said. ning of a 13-1 win over the but didn't strike anyone Glasnow could throw
know that they're obviously The 29-year-old struck out Braves, the Astros scored out in the frame, ending about 90 pitches in this
very talented, and it's go- the first two batters in the four runs fast. Now it wasn't a streak of 73 consecutive one, but he'd seen enough
ing to be a dogfight." eighth before Willy Adames nearly as big as what St. innings with at least one of the big right-hander af-
Michael Brantley and Al- grounded out to end Cole's Louis did, but after the As- strikeout. The streak, which ter 40 pitches and lifted him
tuve put the finishing night. tros were shut down at dated back to Aug. 1, was with two outs in the third for
touches on this victory, hit- "I don't know if anybody Tropicana Field, it was just the longest such streak Blake Snell.
ting back-to-back home can get better than that," as huge for them. since 1961, besting the Snell, the 2018 AL Cy Young
runs in the eighth. The As- Adames said. "He was un- "It shows a lot of character," second-best stretch by 33 Award winner, got the next
tros advanced to their third believable last start, and Houston general manager innings. four outs in his second ca-
straight ALCS, and are aim- today was still the same." Jeff Luhnow said. "Because George Springer and Brant- reer relief appearance
ing for their second World Cole beat his chest once if we hadn't gotten up early ley hit back-to-back singles after getting the save in
Series crown in that span. before walking to the dug- I think it would have been a and Altuve's single made Game 4. The Rays wound
Houston beat the Yankees out to a huge ovation from different ballgame the way it 1-0. Bregman's double, up using nine pitchers.
in a seven-game ALCS on the rowdy sellout crowd of they have their relievers which landed just in front of UP NEXT
the way to its first champi- 43,418 at Minute Maid Park. lined up and ready to go. the bullpen in right-center, Greinke, who took the loss
onship in 2017. The Astros "Energy was so great all I'm glad it wasn't a one-run scored two more to push in Game 3, is likely to start
also won the 2015 AL wild- night," Cole said. "They de- game. Getting four early the lead to 3-0. for Houston in Game 1 of
card game at Yankee Sta- served a hat tip." mattered a lot." Yuli Gurriel's groundball the ALCS.q