The Tampa Bay Rays won the American League pennant on Saturday, ensuring the 2020 World Series champ will be newbie winner of this century.
Randy Arozarena punched a two-run homer and beginning pitcher Charlie Morton shut down his former teammates, leading Tampa Bay to a 4-2 triumph over the scandal-plagued Houston Astros in Video Game 7 of the AL Champion Series in San Diego.
” Im extremely grateful. This hasnt been the simplest roadway to this point,” said Rays catcher Mike Zunino, who also hit a crowning achievement Saturday.
” My better halfs been amazing, shes supported me through this whole thing, I love you babe. However I imply this is what we play for. Its going to be enjoyable. Were prepared to head to Dallas.”
The Astros were trying to cheat history and end up being just the junior varsity in baseball history to rally from a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-7 playoff series.
” These guys battled, I suggest they combated to the very end,” Astros Manager Dusty Baker said. “This team is a lot of fighters, a bunch of guys with a significant amount of perseverance and fortitude.”
David K. Li is a breaking news reporter for NBC News.
The ALCS was dipped into San Diegos Petco Park as MLB hopes bubbles will keep players and personnel safe from the coronavirus pandemic. The virus required much of spring training to be canceled and MLB groups played a truncated 60-game schedule, far less than the typical, yearly slate of 162 games.
Tampa Bays 2020 AL title is no fluke, as the Rays were the ALs finest team in the routine season, winning 40 of those 60 games.
With the Astros, questionable world champions of 2017, now out of the picture, that means the next World Series winner will bring home a trophy not seen in their city for decades – and in the Rays case, ever.
The bridesmaid Dodgers have actually likewise encountered misfortune, losing the 2017 and 2018 World Series to the Astros and Boston Red Sox, both later implicated in sign-stealing scandals.
Since 2000, the Commissioners Trophy has been raised four times by the Red Sox (2004, 2007, 2013, 2018), 3 times by the San Francisco Giants (2010, 2012, 2014), two times by the New York Yankees (2000, 2009) and St. Louis Cardinals (2006, 2011), and once each by the Phillies, Arizona Diamondbacks (2001 ), Chicago Cubs (2016 ), Houston Astros (2017 ), Florida Marlins (2003 ), Anaheim Angels (2002 ), Kansas City Royals (2015 ), Chicago White Sox (2005) and in 2015s champ, the Washington Nationals.
” My other halfs been amazing, shes supported me through this entire thing, I enjoy you babe. I mean this is what we play for. Its going to be enjoyable. Were all set to head to Dallas.”
Arozarena struck his first-inning shot off losing Houston pitcher Lance McCullers Jr., an alum of Tampas Jesuit High School, which is a mere 20 miles from the Rays home park, Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.
Morton, who won a World Series call pitching for the Astros in 2017, threw 5 2/3 shutout innings on Saturday.
The Rays will face the National League Championship Series winner, either the Atlanta Braves or Los Angeles Dodgers. The choosing Game 7 of the NLCS is set for Sunday, with very first pitch at 8:15 p.m. ET.
The neutral-site World Series starts Tuesday at Globe Life Field, the brand-new home of the Texas Rangers, in Arlington.
David K. Li
