A Grand Slam in the ninth inning by Cuban slugger Adolis García led the Texas Rangers to victory this Sunday of 9 runs 2 over the Houston Astros.
With the victory, the Rangers forced a seventh game where the winner will advance to the World Series.
The Rangers tied the best-of-seven American League Championship Series 3-3 and will try to reach their first World Series since 2011 if they win again on the road this Monday.
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The American League champion will open the World Series on Friday against the winner of the National League Championship Serieswhich the Phillies lead 3-2 over Arizona.
The Astros are seeking their third consecutive World Series and fifth in seven seasons, having won the title in 2017 and last year.
The Astros went ahead early 1-0 in the same first inning thanks to singles by Venezuelan José Altuve and Cuban Yordan Alvarez off starter Nathan Eovaldi (4-0), finally the winner.
We have to come ready to go," Eovaldi said after the game. "We just have to keep playing like we're doing. We don't worry about the World Series. "We worry about winning that game tomorrow."
At the top of the second, The Rangers tied the score with a four-corner hit by Mitch Garver against the Dominican Framber Valdez (0-3), finally defeated.
In the top of the fourth inning, the Rangers hit the scoreboard again with a two-run home run by Jonah Heim with Garver on base for a hit.
At the end of the sixth, the Astros scored a run thanks to singles by Cubans Alvarez and José Abreu and a sacrifice fly by Mauricio Dubón.
The Rangers scored another (4 to 2) in the eighth when Evan Carter had an infield hit, stole second and crossed the plate on Garver's double off Dominican reliever Bryan Abreu.
The Astros threatened in the eighth with walks to Alex Bregman, a single by Abreu and a walk to Kyle Tucker, but Dominican reliever José Leclerc closed with strikeouts to Dubón and pinch-hitter Jon Singlenton.
A home run with the bases loaded in the ninth by Cuban García put the icing on the cake for the Rangers.
A walk to Josh Jung, an error by Altuve on a hit by Taveras and a single by Marcus Semien loaded the bases.
Immediately afterwards Corey Seager was hit by a ball and they forced a run and everything was ready for Cuban García's homer.
Despite the loss, the champion Astros can still complete their fifth trip to a World Series in seven seasons by winning on Monday.
To achieve another crown, The Astros would become the first champion to repeat in the World Series since the Yankees did it three times in a row between 1998 and 2000.
For their part, the Rangers, now more excited, do not lose hope of reaching their first World Series after two consecutive failures in 2010 (against the Giants) and 2011 (against the Cardinals).
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