ARLINGTON, Texas — The Houston Astros are a win away from returning to the World Series.
Yes, again.
In an afternoon contest at Globe Life Field in Arlington on Friday, the Astros did just what road teams do in the 2023 American League Championship Series: They won.
Houston beat their hated in-state rival Texas Rangers 5-4 in Game 5 of the ALCS, winning their third game in a row and earning themselves a 3-2 advantage in the best-of-seven series.
Things got heated in this one, too.
In the eighth inning, both teams' benches cleared after Houston reliever Bryan Abreu hit the Rangers' would-be hero of the game, outfielder Adolis Garcia, with a pitch. The expressive Garcia took issue with the bean: No doubt believing he was intentionally targeted as a response to his emphatic celebration after a three-run home run to give the Rangers the lead two innings earlier, he quickly got in Astros catcher Martin Maldonado's face.
Things escalated from there.
In the end, Abreu, Garcia and Astros manager Dusty Baker -- arguing that the throw was clearly not intended to hit Garcia based on Maldonado's positioning on the outside part of the strike zone during the pitch -- were all tossed from the game.
Intentional or not, the incident provided a big swing in momentum from Texas to Houston. Shortly after the ejections, the Astros got their first two batters on base to start the top of the ninth, then took a 5-4 lead when Jose Altuve -- a thorn in the Rangers' side all series -- gave his team the lead with a three-run bomb off of Rangers closer Jose LeClrec.
The game didn't start off with nearly that much action.
In a script similar to that of Game 1, Game 5 again started off a pitcher-dominated affair as Rangers starter Jordan Montgomery and Astros ace Justin Verlander once again kept the lineups of each team mostly in check.
After a fairly rocky start in which he gave up an opening-inning home run to Houston third baseman Alex Bregman, Montgomery posted four straight scoreless innings before allowing another run in the sixth as a hard-hit Jose Abreu grounder deflected off shortstop Corey Seager and scooted into center field, allowing for the Astros' second score of the game to come home.
Verlander, meanwhile, posted his four straight scoreless innings to start the game before giving up a solo homer to Rangers first baseman Nathaniel Lowe in the fifth, and then the aforementioned three-run shot to Garcia in the sixth that would give the Rangers a lead they'd later relinquish in the ninth.
The series will now return to Houston for Game 6 and, if necessary, Game 7. First pitch in Game 6 will come at 7:03 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 22.
The Rangers will have to win that game and the next to win the pennant. The hope they'll surely hang their hats on: Presuming the away team continues winning each game in this series, the Rangers will play in the World Series.
Seems a tall order after this loss, though.