Astros and Rays head into winner-take-all Game 5
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The Astros had a disastrous start to Game 4 of the ALDS, and they were never able to recover in a rowdy St. Petersburg crowd.
Game 5 is scheduled for Thursday evening, and the loser's season will come to an end.
In the first inning, George Springer led off with a base hit, leaving Michael Brantley and Jose Altuve to get him to second. Both hitters, though, struck out. Clean up hitter Alex Bregman faced the same fate, with the team retiring without any runs on the board.
Tommy Pham blasted a solo HR off Justin Verlander in the first inning on his eighth pitch of the game. That one run was already more than any that Verlander surrendered in Game 1.
Avisail Garcia got on base with a single, and Ji-man Choi was walked by Verlander. Travis d'Arnaud and Joey Wendle both sent runners home to give the Rays a 3-0 lead early. It took Verlander 32 pitches to get through the first inning.
James "Mattress Mack" McIngvale was in attendance for Game 4, and ABC13's Bob Slovak talked to him. McIngvale said he had faith in the Astros' bats after that rough start from Verlander.
As expected, the Rays pulled Castilo early, being replaced by Ryan Yarbrough in the second inning.
The third inning was extremely easy for Yarbrough, taking less than 10 pitches to get through Springer, Chirinos and Brantley. Two of the three ground-outs went directly to the pitchers' mound.
Altuve started the fourth inning with a lead-off single. Yordan Alvarez then sent it deep to the outfield and Altuve attempted scoring from first base, but was called out at home plate on incredible relay throws from Kevin Kiermaier and Willy Adames.
Yuli Gurriel had Alvarez at third plate to bring him home, but hit a ground-out to pitcher Nick Anderson.
Adames started the bottom of the fourth with a HR off Verlander, giving the Rays a 4-0 lead.
Verlander was pulled with two outs in the fourth inning. His day finished with 3.2 innings pitched, seven hits, four earned runs and three walks on 84 pitches. Josh James replaced him.
Jose Urquidy entered to pitch for the Astros in the fifth. He was expected to be the starter if Verlander had not gone Tuesday evening. He started with a hit-by-pitch on d'Arnaud.
Kiermaier and Adames got on base after a double play from Bregman, but no runs were scored.
Ryan Pressly replaced Urquidy in the bottom of the sixth with two outs. Urquidy's day finished with 1.2 innings pitched, three hits and three strikeouts.
The Astros continued using more pitchers Tuesday, with Joe Smith entering in the bottom of the seventh. The Astros still trailed 4-0 at the time, getting no production from their bats whatsoever.
Robinson Chirinos finally got the Astros on the board with a solo HR in the top of the eighth to cut the deficit to three.
Altuve and Bregman were on second and third, but Alvarez struck out and Gurriel grounded out to conclude the game.
GAME 3 RECAP: Zack Greinke pounded early in ALDS loss
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