HOUSTON — Cristian Javier got one out, and J.P. France got two. That marked the end of Houston's title defense.
Playing a Game 7 in Space City, the Astros never even took off.
Javier flopped in an abbreviated postseason start and France had a rocky relief outing, sending Houston to an 11-4 loss to the Texas Rangers in the finale of the AL Championship Series on Monday night. The lineup wasn't much help either, going 2 for 14 with runners in scoring position.
So much for Houston's seventh straight appearance in the ALCS, and its bid for baseball's first repeat champion since the New York Yankees won three in a row from 1998-2000. The Astros' trouble at home finally caught up to them.
Houston went 39-42 at Minute Maid Park during the regular season, but it secured the AL West title with a win at Arizona and a Texas loss on the final day. It went 1-5 at home in the playoffs.
No team with a losing record at home has ever reached the World Series.
The Astros are the only big league team to lose four home games in a seven-game postseason series, falling against Washington in the 2019 World Series and then experiencing the same issue this year versus Texas.
Javier was 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA in the playoffs this year and 4-0 with a 0.82 ERA in four career postseason starts for Houston. But he fell apart after retiring leadoff batter Marcus Semien on a grounder to shortstop.
Corey Seager launched a fastball 440 feet into the second deck in right field for a home run. Evan Carter walked and stole second base before scoring on a single by Adolis García that caromed off the wall in left field.
García stole second and Mitch Garver followed with a pop-fly single to left-center field. The ball bounced off the shoulder of diving left fielder Michael Brantley, allowing García to score to make it 3-0. A sharp single to left by Jonah Heim put runners at the corners, and Javier was removed by manager Dusty Baker.
Big league teams are 3-9 in postseason history when their starting pitcher lasts less than an inning in a winner-take-all game.
But Houston closed to 4-2 on Alex Bregman's solo homer in the bottom of the third. France then replaced Hunter Brown for the start of the fourth, and Texas took over.
With one out and the bases loaded, France surrendered a two-run double to Evan Carter and a two-run single by García. Following a two-out single by Jonah Heim, Baker replaced France with Hector Neris.
France allowed five hits and walked one in his first appearance since he pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings a week ago in Game 2 of the ALCS.
Highlights are posted below.
First inning
Texas 3, Houston 1
Cristian Javier started for the Astros and got Marcus Semien to ground out for the first out of the game. Corey Seager then hit a solo homer to put the Rangers in front.
Evan Carter walked and stole second during Adolis García's at-bat. García singled off the left-field wall, driving Carter in for the second run of the game.
García stole second during Mitch Garver's at-bat. Garver then dropped a bloop single to center to score García. Garver moved up to second on the throw home. Jonah Heim singled through the left side of the infield, bringing Nathaniel Lowe to the plate. It marked the end of Javier's night and the Astros brought in Phil Maton. Lowe and Josh Jung struck out swinging to end the inning.
Jose Altuve doubled off the left-field wall to lead off the home half of the first inning. Alex Bregman grounded out for the first out. Yordan Alvarez was intentionally walked after Max Scherzer threw him three straight balls to start his at-bat. José Abreu singled down the left-field line, scoring Altuve and moving Alvarez to third.
Michael Brantley grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Second inning
Texas 3, Houston 1
Hunter Brown relieved Maton to start the second inning. Leody Taveras grounded out for the first out. Semien popped out to center and Seager doubled to keep the inning alive. Carter grounded out to end the inning.
Kyle Tucker opened the home half of the second inning with a popout to left. Chas McCormick walked and stole second during Jeremy Peña's at-bat. Peña struck out swinging for the second out and Martín Maldonado went down swinging to end the inning.
Third inning
Texas 4, Houston 2
Brown stayed in to pitch to García, who opened the top of the third inning with a solo homer to right.
Garver struck out looking for the first out, Heim grounded out for the second out and Lowe went down looking to end the inning.
Altuve grounded out for the first out of the home half. Bregman followed with a solo homer to cut into the Rangers' lead.
Alvarez tripled to left and Abreu grounded out for the second out.
The Rangers pulled Scherzer in favor of Jordan Montgomery. Brantley lined out to end the inning.
Fourth inning
Texas 8, Houston 2
J.P. France relieved Brown and gave up a leadoff single to Jung. He got Taveras swinging and then walked Semien. Seager reached on an infield single to load the bases. Carter then doubled to right, scoring two.
García then singled to left, scoring two more.
Garver popped out for the second out. Heim singled to right to keep the inning alive. Hector Neris came on in relief of France to face Lowe, who walked on four pitches. Jung grounded out to end the inning.
Tucker led off the home half of the fourth with a swinging strikeout. McCormick singled to right and Peña followed with another single. Maldonado popped out to right for the second out. Altuve flew out to right to end the inning.
Fifth inning
Texas 8, Houston 2
Neris stayed in to face Taveras, who struck out swinging. Semien popped out and Seager walked to keep the inning alive for the Rangers. Carter popped out to end the inning.
Bregman grounded out on the first pitch from Montgomery in the fifth inning. Alvarez singled to left and Abreu flew out to right for the second out of the frame. Brantley grounded out to end the inning.
Sixth inning
Texas 10, Houston 2
Bryan Abreu relieved Neris to begin the inning. García popped out for the first out. Garver was then hit by a pitch. Heim struck out looking and Lowe hit a two-run homer to right to add to the Rangers' lead.
Jung ground out to end the inning.
Josh Sborz relieved Montgomery to face Tucker, who flew out to center. McCormick lined out to right for the second out and Peña grounded out to end the inning.
Seventh inning
Texas 10, Houston 3
Jose Urquidy came on in relief and worked a 1-2-3 inning.
Yanier Diaz, who pinch-hit for Maldonado, flew out to right for the first out. Altuve grounded out and Bregman doubled to keep the inning alive. The Rangers pulled Sborz in favor of Aroldis Chapman. Alvarez greeted him with a single to center, scoring Bregman. Abreu grounded out on the next pitch to end the inning.
Eighth inning
Texas 11, Houston 3
Carter grounded out and García followed with a solo homer to left.
Travis Jankowski hit for Garver and singled to left. Heim popped out and Lowe struck out to end the inning.
Chapman stayed in to face Brantley, who grounded out to first. Tucker reached on an infield single and McCormick got hit by a pitch in the back of the leg. Peña flew out to right for the second out and Diaz lined out to right to end the inning.
Ninth inning
Texas 11, Houston 4
Ryne Stanek came on in relief and got Jung and Taveras to ground out. Semien singled to right and Seager lined out to end the inning.
Jose Leclerc came on to start the ninth inning. Altuve homered to left on the first pitch of the inning, his 27th career postseason homer, two shy of Manny Ramirez's record. Bregman walked and Alvarez struck out swinging. Jose Abreu singled to right and Brantley popped out for the second out. Tucker grounded out to end the game.
Who is pitching for the Astros, Rangers in Game 7?
Javier, the Game 3 winner when the defending World Series champion Astros won 8-5, started for Houston.
The 26-year-old right-hander is 6-1 with a 2.08 ERA in 16 postseason games, winning all four of his starts. He has allowed only five hits and two runs over 22 innings in those four starts, including two runs and three hits over 5 2/3 innings earlier in this series.
“My thought process is to stay positive and go out and just compete,” Javier said, adding that Game 7 wouldn't feel any different. “Not really. It’s just the same game. Same people. Just got to go out there and compete. Nothing different.”
Astros vs Rangers headlines
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Scherzer started for the Rangers. His start comes four years after the three-time Cy Young Award winner started Game 7 of the World Series for Washington as the Nationals beat the Astros at Minute Maid Park in the only best-of-seven postseason series that went the distance without the home team winning a single game.
Scherzer was the loser in Game 3 in Arlington on Wednesday night, when he returned after missing just more than a month with a right shoulder strain. The 39-year-old right-hander allowed five runs and five hits while throwing 63 pitches over four innings, but finished strong by striking out the last two batters he faced with a runner on base.
“He knows how to go out there and compete and pitch. I think he’s definitely going to be a lot better than his last outing,” said Game 6 winner Nathan Eovaldi. “He’s been ready to go and chomping at the bit. I know that last start didn’t sit so well, and the competitor that he is, he is going to go out and do a great job tomorrow."
Bryan Abreu suspension appeal ruling
Astros setup man Bryan Abreu will be available in Game 7 even though MLB denied his appeal of a two-game suspension. The reliever was suspended and fined by Major League Baseball on Saturday after hitting Rangers outfielder Adolis García with a pitch in Game 5.
MLB said Abreu's suspension will be served at the beginning of the 2024 season.
Astros vs Rangers Game 7 lineups
Houston is 90-72 overall and 39-42 at home. Astros hitters are batting a collective .259, the fourth-best team batting average in MLB play.
Astros lineup:
- Jose Altuve, 2B
- Alex Bregman, 3B
- Yordan Alvarez, DH
- José Abreu, 1B
- Michael Brantley, LF
- Kyle Tucker, RF
- Chas McCormick, CF
- Jeremy Peña, SS
- Martín Maldonado, C
Texas has a 90-72 record overall and a 40-41 record on the road. The Rangers have gone 82-37 in games when they record eight or more hits.
Rangers lineup:
- Marcus Semien, 2B
- Corey Seager, SS
- Evan Carter, LF
- Adolis García, RF
- Mitch Garver, DH
- Jonah Heim, C
- Nathaniel Lowe, 1B
- Josh Jung, 3B
- Leody Taveras, CF
The first pitch is scheduled for 7:03 p.m. CT at Minute Maid Park. The game airs on Fox and FS1.
RELATED: ALCS Game 7: Pregame festivities to feature 3 Houston icons before Astros, Rangers take the field
Will the roof at Minute Maid be open for Game 7?
Just before 12:30 p.m., the Astros announced that the roof will be closed for Game 7 of the ALCS. The roof has been closed at both the Juice Box and Globe Life Stadium for each game of the ALCS except for Game 5 in Arlington.
Series recap
- Game 1: Game highlights: Rangers shut out Astros in Game 1 of ALCS
- Game 2: Game highlights: Astros' comeback bid falls short in Game 2 loss to Rangers
- Game 3: Game highlights: Javier's strong start leads Astros to win over Rangers in Game 3 of ALCS
- Game 4: Game highlights: Abreu, Alvarez, Altuve help Astros even ALCS with win over Rangers in Game 4
- Game 5: ASTROS WIN! Altuve's blast lifts Houston to 5-4 game 5 win and 3-2 ALCS lead | See highlights
- Game 6: Game recap and highlights: Rangers use late Game 6 surge to force Game 7 against Astros in ALCS