The Tampa Bay Rays and Houston Astros played a tight Game 1 of the American League Championship Series at Petco Park, with the Rays prevailing to take a 1-0 series lead.
The Rays held on for a 2-1 win when reliever Diego Castillo struck out Jose Altuve with a man on in the ninth inning to preserve the victory.
Altuve’s home run in the first kept the Astros ahead until the fourth when Randy Arozarena hit his own solo shot to tie the game.
In the fifth, the Rays took the lead for good when Mike Zunino singled to center and Willy Adames scored.
Ex-Padres Manuel Margot and Hunter Renfroe went 0-for-3 and 0-for-4 respectively for the Rays, though Margot worked his way on via a nine-pitch walk in the eighth. Renfroe struck out four times.
The Rays (40-20), winners of the AL East, entered the playoffs as the AL’s No. 1 seed. The Astros (29-31), who finished second in the AL West, slotted in at No. 6.
The Astros and the Rays play Game 2 of the best-of-seven series at 1 p.m. Monday as postseason baseball continues at neutral sites due to the pandemic. The game airs on TBS.
Mike Z, baby pic.twitter.com/tGcZTTASxz
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) October 12, 2020
– Staff reports