Arozarena homers again, Rays beat Astros 2-1 in ALCS opener

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Randy Arozarena homered again at Petco Park and Mike Zunino drove in the go-ahead run for the Tampa Bay Rays, who beat the Houston Astros 2-1 Sunday night in the opener of the AL Championship Series.

Blake Snell allowed José Altuve’s homer as he labored through the first inning on 29 pitches before the 2018 AL Cy Young Award winner settled down to pitch five innings for the win.

Diego Castillo got five outs for the save. He came on with the bases-loaded with one out in the eighth and got out of it with one pitch when Yuli Gurriel grounded into a double play. Aaron Loup had loaded the bases on a hit batter, walk and single.

Castillo threw 29 pitches in two innings Friday night in the 2-1 win against the New York Yankees that clinched the AL Division Series.

“I was going to be ready," he said through a translator. "I knew with the day off yesterday, I came to the stadium prepared. I just came ready to pitch."

Tampa has leaned on its bullpen all season.

“I think the job he did sums up his whole year," said Zunino, the catcher. "He stepped up big for us. He's been throwing a lot in big situations for us. We had an idea who we might be able to go to, but him coming in there showing what he's made out of says a lot about what those guys in the bullpen have done for us all year.”

Game 2 is Monday afternoon when the Rays turn to 36-year-old Charlie Morton, who got the win for Houston in Game 7 when it won the 2017 World Series. Houston counters with Lance McCullers Jr., who started that Game 7 for the Astros.

Houston, which got into the playoffs with a losing record, is in the ALCS for the fourth straight season and is trying to advance to the World Series for the third time in that span.

The Astros are villains in many people’s eyes for their...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Arozarena-homers-again-Rays-beat-Astros-2-1-in-15638344.php