ST. PETERSBURG - Charlie Morton to the rescue, again. Kevin Kiermaier hit a go-ahead, three-run homer as Tampa Bay teed off on Zack Greinke, and the Rays got another clutch playoff performance from Morton to beat the Houston Astros 10-3 Monday and cut their AL Division Series deficit to 2-1. Facing the team he helped win the World Series two years ago, Morton allowed one run and three hits while striking out nine over five innings. The 35-year-old right-hander is 4-0 with a 0.95 ERA in four career elimination starts, including last week's wild-card win at Oakland. "It's just what Charlie's done all year," manager Kevin Cash said. "He's got that knack for doing some special things for us, and he did it again." Astros manager AJ Hinch announced after the game that Houston will start Justin Verlander on three days of rest in Game 4 of the best-of-five matchup at Tropicana Field on Tuesday. Tampa Bay will use Diego Castillo as an opener. "He's one of the best pitchers in the world. No more complicated than that," Hinch said of Verlander. "He's ready, and it's his game." Tampa Bay Rays 5, Houston Astros 2 American League Championship Series Game 3 Played on Tuesday, October 13, 2020 (D) at Petco Park TAM A 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 - 5 8 0 HOU A 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 - 2 7 1 BATTING Tampa Bay Rays AB R H RBI BB SO PO A Meadows dh 5 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Arozarena lf 4 1 3 0 1 0 1 0 Lowe 2b 5 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 Diaz 1b 5 1 1 0 0 1 7 0 Brosseau 1b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Wendle 3b 4 1 2 2 0 0 1 1 Margot rf,cf 3 0 1 0 0 2 3 0 Kiermaier cf 2 1 0 0 0 1 3 0 Zunino c 1 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 Adames ss 2 0 0 1 1 0 1 3 Perez c 2 0 0 0 0 2 5 0 Renfroe ph,rf 2 0 1 2 0 0 2 0 Yarbrough p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Fairbanks p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Curtiss p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Thompson p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Loup p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Castillo p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 35 5 8 5 2 9 27 7 BATTING - 2B: Arozarena (1,off Urquidy); Renfroe (1,off Raley). SH: Margot (1,off Paredes). HBP: Kiermaier (1,by Paredes); Adames (1,by Paredes). IBB: Arozarena (1,by Raley). Team LOB: 8. Houston Astros AB R H RBI BB SO PO A Springer cf 4 0 0 0 1 1 5 0 Altuve 2b 4 1 2 1 1 1 0 2 Brantley lf 5 1 2 1 0 0 1 0 Bregman 3b 3 0 0 0 0 1 3 1 Correa ss 4 0 1 0 0 0 2 2 Tucker rf 3 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 Gurriel 1b 4 0 0 0 0 1 5 0 Diaz dh 2 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 Reddick ph,dh 2 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 Garneau c 2 0 0 0 0 2 4 0 Maldonado c 1 0 0 0 0 1 5 0 Toro ph 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Urquidy p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Paredes p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Raley p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 James p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Taylor p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 34 2 7 2 4 9 27 6 FIELDING - E: Altuve (3). BATTING - HR: Altuve (2,1st inning off Yarbrough 0 on 1 out); Brantley (1,6th inning off Yarbrough 0 on 0 out). HBP: Bregman (1,by Yarbrough). Team LOB: 10. PITCHING Tampa Bay Rays IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP Yarbrough W(1-0) 5 3 2 2 2 5 2 21 Fairbanks 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 Curtiss 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 5 Thompson 0.1 2 0 0 0 1 0 3 Loup 0.2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 Castillo SV(2) 1 0 0 0 2 2 0 5 Totals 9 7 2 2 4 9 2 39 Yarbrough faced 1 batter in the 6th inning Curtiss faced 1 batter in the 8th inning HBP: Yarbrough (1,Bregman). Inherited Runners - Scored: Thompson 1-0; Loup 3-0. Houston Astros IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP Urquidy L(0-1) 5 4 2 1 1 4 0 21 Paredes 0.1 2 3 3 0 0 0 5 Raley 0.2 1 0 0 1 1 0 4 James 2 0 0 0 0 3 0 6 Taylor 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 4 Totals 9 8 5 4 2 9 0 40 Urquidy faced 2 batters in the 6th inning HBP: Paredes 2 (2,Kiermaier,Adames). IBB: Raley (1,Arozarena). Inherited Runners - Scored: Paredes 2-2; Raley 3-2. Umpires: HP - Jeff Nelson, 1B - Ted Barrett, 2B - Tim Timmons, 3B - Lance Barksdale, LF - Manny Gonzalez, RF - John Tumpane Time of Game: 3:59

SAN DIEGO - For Carlos Correa, it was more than a feeling or a hunch. It was a belief. His swing was feeling great, the moment was primed for a hero and the Astros needed him more than ever before. Correa was so confident something was going to happen, he told manager Dusty Baker he was going to win the game when he stepped to the plate in the ninth inning Thursday. "Carlos told me before he went up there, he goes: 'Walk-off,'" Baker said. "I said, 'Go ahead on, man.'" Correa crushed a fastball from Rays reliever Nick Anderson and sailed it 416 feet over the center-field wall at Petco Park in San Diego for a walk-off homer to send the never-say-die Astros to a dramatic 4-3 win in what has suddenly become a tight American League Championship Series. The Rays lead the best-of-seven series, 3-2, heading into Friday's Game 6. "I knew I was going to end it," said Correa, who also hit a walk-off homer in Game 2 of last year's ALCS against the Yankees. "I could feel my swing was in sync. I could feel my rhythm was good, and I felt like I was going to drive the ball. I believed I could do it." The Astros are the 39th team in postseason history to fall behind 3-0 in a best-of-seven series, but they are now only the fourth to keep the series going to a Game 6. Of the previous three to survive that long, two lost Game 6 (the 1999 Mets vs. the Braves, and 1998 Braves vs. the Padres, both in the NLCS). The other, the 2004 Red Sox vs. the Yankees in the ALCS, are the only team to ever win a series after dropping the first three games - the blueprint that Houston is now just two wins away from replicating. Houston Astros 4, Tampa Bay Rays 3 American League Championship Series Game 5 Played on Thursday, October 15, 2020 (D) at Petco Park TB A 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 - 3 7 1 HOU A 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 - 4 6 0 BATTING Tampa Bay Rays AB R H RBI BB SO PO A Lowe 2b 5 1 1 1 0 2 5 2 Arozarena lf 5 1 1 1 0 2 0 1 Meadows rf 4 0 0 0 1 1 3 0 Perez c 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Diaz dh 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Choi 1b 2 1 2 1 2 0 9 0 Margot cf,rf 4 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 Wendle 3b 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 4 Adames ss 3 0 0 0 1 3 0 1 Zunino c 4 0 2 0 0 1 5 0 Kiermaier pr,cf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Curtiss p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Fleming p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Slegers p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Anderson p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 33 3 7 3 5 11 25 11 FIELDING - DP: 1. Wendle-Lowe-Choi. E: Slegers (1). BATTING - HR: Lowe (1,3rd inning off Taylor 0 on 0 out); Arozarena (3,5th inning off Paredes 0 on 1 out); Choi (1,8th inning off James 0 on 0 out). HBP: Wendle (1,by Garcia). GDP: Wendle (1,off James). Team LOB: 9. Houston Astros AB R H RBI BB SO PO A Springer cf 4 1 1 1 0 1 2 0 Brantley dh 4 0 1 2 0 1 0 0 Altuve 2b 2 0 1 0 2 0 0 3 Bregman 3b 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 Correa ss 4 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 Tucker lf 3 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 Gurriel 1b 3 0 0 0 0 0 8 0 Reddick rf 2 1 1 0 1 0 3 0 Maldonado c 3 1 1 0 0 1 11 0 Garcia p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Taylor p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Paredes p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Scrubb p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Raley p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 James p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Pressly p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 29 4 6 4 3 5 27 8 FIELDING - DP: 1. James-Correa-Gurriel. BATTING - 2B: Maldonado (2,off Fleming). HR: Springer (2,1st inning off Curtiss 0 on 0 out); Correa (2,9th inning off Anderson 0 on 1 out). GDP: Bregman (1,off Fleming). IBB: Reddick (1,by Slegers). Team LOB: 3. PITCHING Tampa Bay Rays IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP Curtiss 1.1 1 1 1 1 2 1 5 Fleming 3 3 2 2 1 1 0 12 Slegers 2.2 1 0 0 1 2 0 10 Anderson L(0-1) 1.1 1 1 1 0 0 1 5 Totals 8.1 6 4 4 3 5 2 32 IBB: Slegers (1,Reddick). Houston Astros IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP Garcia 2 0 0 0 2 1 0 9 Taylor 0.2 1 1 1 0 1 1 3 Paredes 1.2 1 1 1 3 3 1 9 Scrubb 1.1 2 0 0 0 2 0 6 Raley 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 James 1 2 1 1 0 0 1 4 Pressly W(1-0) 1.1 1 0 0 0 2 0 5 Totals 9 7 3 3 5 11 3 39 WP: Pressly (2). HBP: Garcia (1,Wendle). Inherited Runners - Scored: Scrubb 1-0; Raley 1-0. Umpires: HP - Ted Barrett, 1B - Lance Barksdale, 2B - Manny Gonzalez, 3B - John Tumpane, LF - Jeff Nelson, RF - Chris Conroy Time of Game: 3:36

SAN DIEGO - The momentum shift began when George Springer hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning of Game 4 to break a tie and give the Astros some hope. It picked up serious steam when Carlos Correa hit a walk-off homer in the ninth inning to win Game 5, sparking a home-plate celebration that had 71-year-old manager Dusty Baker dancing. Any doubts the Astros had about their ability to win the American League Championship Series were wiped away Friday night at Petco Park, where lefty Framber Valdez held the Rays to one run in six innings and Springer's two-run single sparked a four-run outburst in the fifth that led the Astros to a 7-4 win in Game 6 to even the series at three games apiece. "We're relentless," Correa said. "When we said we didn't want to go home, we really meant that. We want to keep playing baseball and we don't want this to be the end of our season. We took care of these three games and now we've got to take care of one more. If we don't win that game, it all means nothing. We have to go out there tomorrow and get that win. It would be great." The Astros are the 39th team in postseason history to fall behind 3-0 in a best-of-seven series but only the second to then force a Game 7. The other was the 2004 Red Sox, who came all the way back to beat the Yankees in the ALCS. The Astros will send Lance McCullers Jr. to the mound in Game 7 on Saturday against Tampa Bay's Charlie Morton, who won Game 7 of the ALCS and Game 7 of the World Series for Houston in 2017. "We have the right guy," catcher Martín Maldonado said. "He's been there before, pitching Game 7 of the World Series. I just feel we're going to take this game like we have been taking every game, one pitch at a time. As long as we keep executing pitches, keep playing defense like we are, we're going to be in good shape." Houston Astros 7, Tampa Bay Rays 4 American League Championship Series Game 6 Played on Friday, October 16, 2020 (N) at Petco Park HOU A 0 0 0 0 4 1 2 0 0 - 7 11 0 TB A 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 - 4 6 0 BATTING Houston Astros AB R H RBI BB SO PO A Springer cf,rf 4 1 1 2 1 2 0 0 Altuve 2b 3 2 2 1 2 0 1 4 Brantley dh 4 1 2 1 1 2 0 0 Correa ss 5 0 3 1 0 2 2 4 Bregman 3b 5 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 Tucker rf,lf 3 1 1 2 1 1 0 0 Gurriel 1b 2 1 0 0 3 0 10 1 Diaz lf 3 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 Reddick rf 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Straw cf 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Maldonado c 2 0 0 0 1 1 13 1 Valdez p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Scrubb p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Taylor p 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Javier p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Pressly p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 33 7 11 7 9 11 27 12 FIELDING - DP: 2. Altuve-Correa-Gurriel, Correa-Altuve-Gurriel. PB: Maldonado (1). BATTING - 2B: Altuve (2,off Castillo); Correa (1,off McClanahan). HR: Tucker (1,6th inning off McClanahan 0 on 0 out). SH: Maldonado (1,off Castillo). SF: Tucker (1,off McClanahan). GDP: Bregman 2 (3,off Snell,off Castillo). Team LOB: 10. BASERUNNING - CS: Altuve (1,2nd base by Snell/Zunino). Tampa Bay Rays AB R H RBI BB SO PO A Brosseau 2b 4 0 0 0 1 3 2 2 Arozarena dh 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Renfroe rf 3 0 1 0 0 2 1 0 Meadows ph,rf 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Diaz 1b 2 0 0 0 1 1 7 1 Choi ph,1b 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 Lowe lf 3 2 1 0 1 0 2 0 Margot cf 4 2 2 3 0 1 0 0 Adames ss 2 0 1 1 2 0 3 3 Wendle 3b 4 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 Zunino c 3 0 0 0 0 2 11 2 Tsutsugo ph 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 Snell p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Castillo p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 McClanahan p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Alvarado p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Loup p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Curtiss p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 31 4 6 4 6 13 27 10 FIELDING - DP: 3. Zunino-Adames, Wendle-Brosseau-Diaz, Adames-Diaz. PB: Zunino 3 (5). BATTING - 2B: Adames (2,off Valdez). HR: Margot 2 (3,7th inning off Scrubb 0 on 0 out,8th inning off Javier 1 on 2 out). GDP: Lowe (1,off Valdez); Brosseau (1,off Pressly). Team LOB: 6. PITCHING Houston Astros IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP Valdez W(1-1) 6 3 1 1 3 9 0 23 Scrubb 0.2 1 1 1 2 1 1 5 Taylor 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Javier 1 1 2 2 1 2 1 5 Pressly SV(2) 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 3 Totals 9 6 4 4 6 13 2 37 Inherited Runners - Scored: Taylor 2-0. Tampa Bay Rays IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP Snell L(1-1) 4 3 2 2 4 4 0 17 Castillo 1 3 2 1 1 0 0 6 McClanahan 1.2 5 3 3 1 2 1 11 Alvarado 0.2 0 0 0 3 2 0 5 Loup 0.2 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 Curtiss 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 Totals 9 11 7 6 9 11 1 44 Snell faced 2 batters in the 5th inning WP: Snell (1). Inherited Runners - Scored: Castillo 2-2; Alvarado 2-0; Loup 3-0. Umpires: HP - Tim Timmons, 1B - Manny Gonzalez, 2B - John Tumpane, 3B - Jeff Nelson, LF - Chris Conroy, RF - Ted Barrett Time of Game: 4:01

SAN DIEGO - The year started with players around the league questioning the validity of the Astros' 2017 World Series title in the wake of the sign-stealing scandal that rocked the sport in January, and it continued through a litany of devastating injuries as Houston stumbled into the playoffs with a sub.-500 record. If ever a team felt it had something to prove, it was this year's Astros. Considered an afterthought when the playoffs started, the Astros came within one win of reaching their third World Series in four years before running out of magic in a 4-2 loss to the Rays in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series on Saturday night at Petco Park. You can dislike the Astros all you want, but they showed in 2020 that they still have as much talent and moxy as ever and appear primed to contend again next season. "I'm extremely proud of this team for fighting every single day, battling every pitch and going out there and playing hard and playing for one another," third baseman Alex Bregman said. "But like I said before, our goal is always to win the last game of the season, so it's time to work extremely hard in the offseason and get better." The Rays advanced to their first World Series since 2008, while the Astros were left to rummage through the disappointment of coming up short in the ALCS despite becoming just the second team in MLB history to even a best-of-seven series after losing the first three games. In all four losses to the Rays, the Astros had the tying run or go-ahead run at the plate in the ninth inning, including Game 7. But when Aledmys Diaz flied out to right field, one of the most tumultuous seasons - and in a lot of ways, most gratifying seasons - in Astros history came to an end. Tampa Bay Rays 4, Houston Astros 2 American League Championship Series Game 7 Played on Saturday, October 17, 2020 (N) at Petco Park HOU A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 - 2 7 0 TB A 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 x - 4 6 0 BATTING Houston Astros AB R H RBI BB SO PO A Springer cf 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Altuve 2b 4 1 2 0 0 1 1 3 Brantley dh 3 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 Correa ss 4 0 1 2 0 2 3 2 Bregman 3b 4 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 Stubbs c 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Tucker lf 4 0 1 0 0 2 1 0 Gurriel 1b 4 0 1 0 0 0 5 0 Reddick rf 4 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 Maldonado c 1 0 0 0 1 1 11 0 Diaz ph,3b 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 McCullers p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 Raley p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Urquidy p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Taylor p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Paredes p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 33 2 7 2 3 9 24 8 FIELDING - DP: 1. Diaz-Gurriel. BATTING - GDP: Gurriel (2,off Anderson). Team LOB: 7. Tampa Bay Rays AB R H RBI BB SO PO A Margot rf 2 1 0 0 1 1 3 0 Lowe 2b 4 0 1 0 0 2 2 4 Arozarena lf 4 1 1 2 0 1 1 0 Meadows dh 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 Choi 1b 3 1 2 0 1 0 10 0 Brosseau pr,1b 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Adames ss 2 0 0 0 2 2 0 2 Wendle 3b 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 4 Zunino c 2 1 1 2 0 1 9 0 Kiermaier cf 3 0 0 0 0 3 2 0 Morton p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Anderson p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Fairbanks p 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 28 4 6 4 4 11 27 10 FIELDING - DP: 1. Adames-Lowe-Choi. BATTING - HR: Arozarena (4,1st inning off McCullers 1 on 1 out); Zunino (2,2nd inning off McCullers 0 on 1 out). SF: Zunino (1,off Urquidy). HBP: Margot (1,by McCullers). GDP: Wendle (2,off Paredes). Team LOB: 6. PITCHING Houston Astros IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP McCullers L(0-2) 3.2 4 3 3 1 7 2 17 Raley 0.1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 Urquidy 2 1 1 1 2 2 0 9 Taylor 1.1 1 0 0 0 1 0 5 Paredes 0.2 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 Totals 8 6 4 4 4 11 2 34 HBP: McCullers (2,Margot). Inherited Runners - Scored: Raley 1-0; Paredes 1-0. Tampa Bay Rays IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP Morton W(2-0) 5.2 2 0 0 1 6 0 20 Anderson 2 3 2 2 1 0 0 9 Fairbanks SV(1) 1.1 2 0 0 1 3 0 7 Totals 9 7 2 2 3 9 0 36 WP: Fairbanks (1). Inherited Runners - Scored: Anderson 2-0; Fairbanks 2-2. Umpires: HP - Lance Barksdale, 1B - John Tumpane, 2B - Jeff Nelson, 3B - Chris Conroy, LF - Ted Barrett, RF - Tim Timmons Time of Game: 3:14