MLB Championship Series top plays: Astros, Phillies advance to World Series
The MLB playoffs continued Sunday with the Houston Astros beating the New York Yankees in Game 4 of the ALCS, which got under way after a weather delay, advancing to the World Series.
Earlier, the Philadelphia Phillies beat the San Diego Padres in Game 5 of the NLCS, also advancing to the World Series.
The World Series begins Friday on FOX.
Here are the top plays from Sunday's action.
Astros 6, Yankees 5 (HOU wins series 4-0)
Yankees score first
After two of their first three batters reached base, Giancarlo Stanton got the Yankees on the board. New York's designated hitter roped a single to right-center field, giving the Yankees a 1-0 lead.
Take ‘em how you can get ’em
Gleyber Torres hit a popup to shallow center field, which generated miscommunication in the Astros outfield and led to the ball falling in center. The single gave New York a 2-0 lead.
Yanks knock in another
Anthony Rizzo punched out a two-out RBI double to left field in the bottom of the second inning, extending New York's lead to 3-0. Astros starting pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. stranded two runners in scoring position, though.
One swing ties it
Houston got its first two batters on base to begin the top of the third. Then Jeremy Pena evened up the scoreboard, launching a three-run home run off Yankees starting pitcher Nestor Cortes Jr. to tie the game 3-3.
Astros' Jeremy Peña crushes a three-run home run to jump-start Houston's comeback
Cortes leaves the game
Cortes was removed from the game after giving up the homer to Pena with a presumptive injury. He surrendered three runs and five baserunners (three walks and two hits) while striking out two batters across two innings. Wandy Peralta took over for Cortes.
Houston musters another run
Yuli Gurriel smacked an RBI single through the right side of the infield, giving the Astros a 4-3 lead.
The Riz does it again
With two out in the bottom of the fourth, Rizzo smacked a single to center, scoring Harrison Bader from second base. It was Rizzo's second RBI base hit of the game and tied the contest at 4-4.
Darth Bader
New York got the lead back in the bottom of the sixth thanks to Bader's fifth home run of the postseason. The solo homer to left off Hector Neris gave the Yankees a 5-4 lead.
Yankees make costly error
Gleyber Torres and Isiah Kiner-Falefa weren't able to connect on a would-be inning-ending double-play in the top of the seventh. Torres' toss got past Kiner-Falefa, which put runners on first and second. Then Yordan Alvarez hit an RBI single to right field, evening the score at five.
The hit knocked Jonathan Loaisiga out of the game in favor of Clay Holmes.
Astros regain the lead
The first batter Holmes faced was Alex Bregman, who hit an RBI single to right-center field. Bregman's hit put the Astros up 6-5. Holmes stranded two runners in scoring position, though.
Astros win ALCS
And the Astros held on to win and advance to the World Series.
Phillies 4, Padres 3 (PHI wins series 4-1)
Wheeler dealin'
It was an easy top of the first for Philly starter Zack Wheeler.
Duck!
You don't see this often.
He's going streaking
Bryce Harper has been cookin' this postseason, and the hot streak continued Sunday.
Rhys Hop-kins
The blast, followed by the hop-skip. Rhys Hoskins enjoyed this two-run dinger in the bottom of the third, giving his team a 2-0 lead.
Rhys Hoskins's two-run home run puts the Phillies on top
Gone Soto
In the top of the fourth, Juan Soto got his team on the board, admiring his work in the process and giving Philly a 2-1 lead.
Juan Soto admires his work after hitting homer
Nice weather, we're having …
The moves speak for themselves.
Round of applause
The Phillies got another superb start from the right-hander, his second of the series. Wheeler was removed from the game in the top of the seventh after giving up a leadoff single to Jake Cronenworth. He surrendered two earned runs and three hits while striking out eight hitters across six innings. Philadelphia led 2-1. Seranthony Dominguez relieved Wheeler.
It's tied!
The first batter Dominguez faced, Josh Bell, came through for the Padres, roping a double to right field. The extra-base hit scored Cronenworth from second base, evening up the score at two apiece.
Josh Bell ties the game
It's no longer tied!
With two outs in the inning, Dominguez threw a wild pitch that went deep enough behind catcher J.T. Realmuto to score pinch runner Jose Azocar from third. The Padres took a 3-2 lead.
Padres' Jose Azocar scores the go-ahead run on a wild pitch
Yu know Darvish
San Diego removed the right-hander from the game in the top of the seventh after he surrendered a leadoff double to Bryson Stott. Darvish gave up two runs and seven baserunners (four hits and three walks) while striking out five hitters in six innings.
Robert Suarez relieved Darvish and got through the inning with the score still 3-2.
Signature moment
Harper came through with the biggest home run of his MLB career in the bottom of the eighth. The Phillies star hit a two-run home run to left off Suarez, putting the Phillies up 4-3.
Bryce Harper launches a two-run home run to give Phillies a 4-3 lead in the eighth inning
Phillies win!
Things got sticky in the top of the ninth, as the Padres placed two men on base with just one out. However, Philly got out of the jam, and the series was over after an Austin Nola fly-out.
Phillies advance to World Series!
