The defending champion Houston Astros battled back from behind.The Astros pounded out 12 hits in the top of the seventh inning to win Game 3 of the best-of-seven American League Championship Series (ALCS) 8-5 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Monday (April 19).With its first win on the road after dropping Games 1 and 2 at home, Houston set the stage to turn the series around.In the history of the best-of-seven series, a team trailing 2-1 heading into Game 3 has won the series 44 of 148 times, a 30 percent chance.A team that wins Game 3 after losing two straight has done so 13 times out of 50, a 26% chance.
Houston starter Christian Javier broke a no-hitter with two outs in the fifth inning, allowing just three hits and two runs over 5⅔ innings with three strikeouts to earn the win.Notably, Javier had pitched 20 1/3 scoreless innings in the postseason before giving up a home run to Texas rookie Josh Jung.Meanwhile, veteran Max Scherzer took the loss for Texas, allowing five runs on five hits in four innings.
Scherzer, who was placed on the disabled list (IL) with shoulder soreness at the end of the season, made his first start in over a month and didn’t last past the fifth inning.Houston took advantage of Scherzer’s shaky command early in the game.In the second inning, a hit-by-pitch, a walk and a single loaded the bases and Martin Maldonado followed with 슬롯게이밍 a two-run double to left field to make it 3-0.