ALCS Game 3: Astros jump out to early lead vs. Texas Rangers, claim the 1st of 3 played in Arlington

ARLINGTON, Texas (KTRK) -- For the first time in the American League Championship Series, the Houston Astros held a lead against the Texas Rangers in Game 3 and sustained it, giving the defending World Series champs their first victory of the ALCS.

The 'Stros were able to plate three runs against Rangers' starting pitcher, Max Scherzer, in the second inning. Yordan Alvarez, on base from a hit-by-pitch, advanced to third and scored on a two-out wild pitch with two other baserunners on. Then, Martin Maldonado hit an RBI single to drive home the remaining baserunners to earn a 3-0 lead early.

Houston's third inning on offense produced Jose Altuve's first hit of the ALCS when he blasted a 413-foot home run to left center. Houston extended the lead, 4-0.

In the fourth inning, Houston scored again after Mauricio Dubon drove in Jose Abreu on an RBI single. The score was 5-0 at this point.

But the Texas Rangers fought despite a solid outing by the Astros' Cristian Javier. Rookie Josh Jung rocked Javier for a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning, cutting into the deficit, 5-2.

The round-tripper, preceded by Javier's first allowed hit of the game to Nathaniel Lowe, represented the first-ever runs allowed by Javier in four postseason starts, dating back to last year's ALCS Game 3.

Alvarez had a chance at getting back one of those runs in the sixth inning when he launched a high flyball to straight-away center, but Rangers outfielder Leody Taveras robbed No. 44 of another postseason homer by climbing up the wall and making a SportsCenter Top 10-type grab.

Alvarez made up for it in the seventh inning when he drove in two runs on a bases-loaded RBI single to get back a five-run lead at 7-2.

Hector Neris came in to relieve Javier, who pitched five and two-thirds innings and threw 85 pitches. Neris completed the sixth inning and was one out away from retiring the Rangers in the seventh when Jung blasted another two-run homer, cutting into the lead, 7-4.

The Astros got back a run in the eighth inning when Jeremy Peña hit a single to score Kyle Tucker. Houston still led, 8-4.

Bryan Abreu entered the eighth inning against a still-fighting Rangers team, who immediately took back a run off of an RBI. The Astros still lead, 8-5. The score marked Abreu's first run allowed in 31 games.

But that was all the runs the Rangers would score. Ryan Pressly entered in the ninth inning to retire the side, inducing Jung to hit into a game-closing double play.

SEE ALSO: 3 Astros, including Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman, and Mauricio Dubón, named 2023 Gold Glove finalists

The Astros' win guarantees the series goes to a fifth game set for Friday afternoon. One more Houston win in Arlington would guarantee the series heads back to Minute Maid Park for at least Game 6.

Houston's prior Game 3s when down 0-2 in best-of-seven series

The Astros have lost the first two games of a best-of-seven-game series five times in their history, including Wednesday's game.

Of course, those teams had to keep trucking. Just two losses don't end a series that requires four to eliminate a team.

How did the past 'Stros follow up in Game 3?

The first time they went into a 0-2 hole was in the 2004 National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, who defended their home field in the first two games. As the series shifted to Minute Maid Park, Houston earned a 5-2 victory on the strength of home runs by Jeff Kent, Carlos Beltran, and Lance Berkman, as well as a seven-inning performance by Roger Clemens. Houston went on to sweep the rest of the home games, coming within one more win of the World Series. The Astros were eliminated in seven games.

The next time they would encounter 0-2 was in the 2005 World Series against the Chicago White Sox. After dropping the first two games in Chi-Town, Houston ran out to a 4-0 lead after four innings, until the White Sox hung five runs on Roy Oswalt in the fifth inning. The Astros tied up the game in the eighth inning with a Jason Lane RBI double. Houston and Chicago would go into the 14th inning to decide this game, which White Sox batter Geoff Blum - yes, the Astros broadcaster - untied with a home run. Either one or two runs decided the games of this series.

Fourteen years later, Houston faced its first time losing the first two games at home in the 2019 World Series against the Washington Nationals. The 'Stros used six pitchers, including starter Zack Greinke, to limit the Nats to just one run despite allowing nine hits. Meanwhile, Houston batters dinged up Washington's Anibal Sanchez with 10 hits and four earned runs to claim Game 3. The 'Stros swept the rest of the road games and, just like in the 2004 NLCS, came within a victory of winning a second World Series title in three years. The Astros lost in seven games.

The most recent 0-2 start to a series happened three years ago in the 2020 ALCS against the Tampa Bay Rays, and unlike the other series in this entry, all of the games were played at a neutral site in San Diego, without fans, and within a space of seven days. Houston lost close games in the first two contests. In Game 3, Houston held a 1-0 lead through the first five innings until things came undone in the sixth inning where the Rays scored five runs. Houston went on to play in four straight elimination games as part of an improbable turnaround that was snuffed out in Game 7.

2023 ALCS schedule and results, Texas leads 2-1 in best-of-seven series

• Game 1: Rangers 2, Astros 0
• Game 2: Rangers 5, Astros 4
• Game 3: Astros 8, Rangers 4
• Game 4: Astros at Rangers, Thursday, 7:03 p.m.
• Game 5: Astros at Rangers, Friday, 4:07 p.m.
• Game 6: Rangers at Astros, Sunday, 7:03 p.m.*
• Game 7: Rangers at Astros, Monday, Oct. 23, 7:03 p.m.*

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