Major League Baseball

2023 MLB Playoffs highlights: D-Backs win NLCS Game 4, Astros win ALCS Game 5

Updated Oct. 20, 2023 11:43 p.m. ET

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The 2023 MLB postseason continued Friday, as the Houston Astros beat the Texas Rangers in a thrilling Game 5 of the American League Championship Series.

The Rangers turned to Jordan Montgomery to shut down the Astros lineup, like he did in Game 1 of the series. Meanwhile, the Astros countered Montgomery's appearance with their own ace, Justin Verlander. The Game 5 win gave the Astros a 3-2 series lead.

Then the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series, evening the series at two games apiece.

The Diamondbacks got their first win of the series in Game 3 Thursday, 2-1, thanks to 5.2 shutout innings from starter Brandon Pfaadt and a walk-off single from Ketel Marte. As for Game 4, both teams went with a bullpen day, as Joe Mantiply began the game for Arizona, while Cristopher Sanchez started for Philadelphia.

Here are the top plays from the day!

FINAL: Arizona Diamondbacks 6, Philadelphia Phillies 5

Our Lourdes and Savior

Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto hit a ball to the warning track in the top of the second, but left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. leaped and made a tremendous catch at the wall.

D-Backs score first

With runners on the corners and two outs in the bottom half of the second, Emmanuel Rivera came through with an RBI single to center field for the Diamondbacks.

Going the other way

Matre singled to lead off the bottom of the third, got to second on a wild pitch and then to third on a groundout. Then Gabriel Moreno drove him in with an RBI single to right, giving the Diamondbacks a 2-0 lead.

Got a run back

Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber roped a home run to right in the top of the fourth, cutting the Diamondbacks' lead in half.

Tied up

With two outs and a runner on second in the top of the fifth, Phillies left fielder Brandon Marsh lined a double to left-center field that one-hopped off the wall and brought in a run from second, tying the game at two runs apiece. 

D-Backs break down

Philadelphia loaded the bases to begin the sixth, and then disaster struck for Arizona. Alec Bohm hit a ground ball near third, but Moreno was unable to gather Rivera's one-hop throw home from third base and two runs crossed the plate. Bohm was thrown out trying to get to second and the Phillies didn't score another run in the inning, though. They led 4-2.

Four-wheel drive

Phillies center fielder Johan Rojas roped a ball down the right field line in the top of the seventh and thundered around the bases for a triple. The next batter, Trea Turner, drove Rojas in with a sacrifice fly to left. Arizona then walked in a run but left the bases loaded in the bottom half of the inning.

TIE GAME!

Alek Thomas came off the bench for the Diamondbacks in the bottom of the eighth and delivered a pinch-hit, two-run home run to right-center field off Phillies reliever Craig Kimbrel. The long ball tied the game at five runs apiece.

Lead change!

Jose Alvarado relieved Kimbrel after the latter put two more runners on the basepaths, but then Moreno smacked an RBI single to center, giving the Diamondbacks the lead.

D-Backs close it out

Diamondbacks reliever Paul Sewald gave up a two-out double to Schwarber in the top of the ninth, but the right-hander got the save and struck out three batters in doing so.

FINAL: Houston Astros 5, Texas Rangers 4

Later!

Montgomery induced back-to-back first-pitch outs to begin the game, but then Alex Bregman smacked a solo home run to left field for Houston.

Looking sharp

Verlander tossed a 1-2-3 first inning for Houston.

Slick!

Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena made a diving play on a ground ball to his left, got up and made the throw over to first base for the final out in the bottom half of the second.

Saved an extra-base hit

Bregman punched out a fly ball to right-center field to lead off the top half of the fourth, but Rangers right fielder Adolis Garcia was able to get under it.

Tie game!

Texas evened up the score at one run apiece in the bottom of the fifth when Nathaniel Lowe hit an opposite field home run to left.

Just put it in play …

With runners on the corners in the top of the sixth, Jose Abreu hit a hard ground ball to shortstop, but Corey Seager wasn't able to keep it in front of him and a run scored. Kyle Tucker then drew a walk, loading the bases. Texas relieved Montgomery for Josh Sborz.

Defense

After Sborz drew a shallow fly ball, which kept the runner at third, second baseman Marcus Semien made a superb diving play on a ground ball to his right, getting the Rangers out of the inning with only one runner crossing the plate. Houston led 2-1.

GONE!

Texas got two runners on base in the bottom half of the sixth, and then Garcia turned the tables on Houston. On the first pitch that he saw, Garcia got under a Verlander fastball and hit it into the left field seats for a 3-run homer. Texas took a 4-2 lead, and the long ball knocked Verlander out of the game.

Benches clear!

With a runner on first and nobody out in the bottom of the eighth, Astros reliever Bryan Abreu hit Garcia on the first pitch of the at-bat, and Garcia immediately turned and tried to get in the face of catcher Martin Maldonado. Benches then cleared. Abreu, Garcia and Astros manager Dusty Baker — who lost his mind with the umpiring crew — were all ejected.

Benches clear between Astros and Rangers after Adolis García is drilled by a Bryan Abreu pitch

Ryan Pressly entered the game for Houston and got it out of the inning unscathed.

ALTUVE GIVES HOUSTON THE LEAD

The Astros got the first two runners on base in the top of the ninth, and then Jose Altuve lifted a go-ahead three-run home run.

Astros hold on

Texas got the first two batters on base in the bottom of the ninth, but Pressly got the next three batters out to secure Houston's third consecutive win in the series.

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