Updates and highlights | Rangers in front of Astros early in ALCS Game 7

HOUSTON — It’s all come down to this as the all-Texas AL Championship Series will be decided in a decisive Game 7 at Minute Maid Park.

Road teams are unbeaten in this Lone Star State showdown, only the second time in baseball history the home side has dropped the first six games in a best-of-seven postseason series. 

The Houston Astros are attempting to become the first club to capture three straight pennants since the New York Yankees took four in a row from 1998-2001. The Texas Rangers, one of six major league teams without a World Series title, are trying to reach the Fall Classic for the first time since consecutive trips in 2010 and 2011.

The Rangers took Game 6 of the ALCS to avoid elimination Sunday night, winning 9-2 in Houston. Garver went 3 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs. Jonah Heim hit a two-run shot and Adolis García — at the center of a Game 5 dustup — broke it open with a grand slam in the ninth inning.

Updates and highlights are posted below.

Cristian Javier started for the Astros and got Marcus Semien to ground out for the first out of the game. Corey Seager then hit a solo homer to put the Rangers in front.

Evan Carter walked and stole second during Adolis García’s at-bat. García singled off the left-field wall, driving Carter in for the second run of the game.

García stole second during Mitch Garver’s at-bat. Garver then dropped a bloop single to center to score García. Garver moved up to second on the throw home. Jonah Heim singled through the left side of the infield, bringing Nathaniel Lowe to the plate. It marked the end of Javier’s night and the Astros brought in Phil Maton. Lowe and Josh Jung struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jose Altuve doubled off the left-field wall to lead off the home half of the first inning. Alex Bregman grounded out for the first out. Yordan Alvarez was intentionally walked after Max Scherzer threw him three straight balls to start his at-bat. José Abreu singled down the left-field line, scoring Altuve and moving Alvarez to third.

Michael Brantley grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Hunter Brown relieved Maton to start the second inning. Leody Taveras grounded out for the first out. Semien popped out to center and Seager doubled to keep the inning alive. Carter grounded out to end the inning.

Kyle Tucker opened the home half of the second inning with a popout to left. Chas McCormick walked and stole second during Jeremy Peña’s at-bat. Peña struck out swinging for the second out and Martín Maldonado went down swinging to end the inning.

Brown stayed in to pitch to García, who opened the top of the third inning with a solo homer to right.

Garver struck out looking for the first out, Heim grounded out for the second out and Lowe went down looking to end the inning.

Altuve grounded out for the first out of the home half. Bregman followed with a solo homer to cut into the Rangers’ lead.

Alvarez tripled to left and Abreu grounded out for the second out.

The Rangers pulled Scherzer in favor of Jordan Montgomery. Brantley lined out to end the inning.

Javier, the Game 3 winner when the defending World Series champion Astros won 8-5, started for Houston.

The 26-year-old right-hander is 6-1 with a 2.08 ERA in 16 postseason games, winning all four of his starts. He has allowed only five hits and two runs over 22 innings in those four starts, including two runs and three hits over 5 2/3 innings earlier in this series.

“My thought process is to stay positive and go out and just compete,” Javier said, adding that Game 7 wouldn’t feel any different. “Not really. It’s just the same game. Same people. Just got to go out there and compete. Nothing different.”

Scherzer started for the Rangers. His start comes four years after the three-time Cy Young Award winner started Game 7 of the World Series for Washington as the Nationals beat the Astros at Minute Maid Park in the only best-of-seven postseason series that went the distance without the home team winning a single game.

Scherzer was the loser in Game 3 in Arlington on Wednesday night, when he returned after missing just more than a month with a right shoulder strain. The 39-year-old right-hander allowed five runs and five hits while throwing 63 pitches over four innings, but finished strong by striking out the last two batters he faced with a runner on base.

“He knows how to go out there and compete and pitch. I think he’s definitely going to be a lot better than his last outing,” said Game 6 winner Nathan Eovaldi. “He’s been ready to go and chomping at the bit. I know that last start didn’t sit so well, and the competitor that he is, he is going to go out and do a great job tomorrow.”

Astros setup man Bryan Abreu will be available in Game 7 even though MLB denied his appeal of a two-game suspension. The reliever was suspended and fined by Major League Baseball on Saturday after hitting Rangers outfielder Adolis García with a pitch in Game 5.

MLB said Abreu’s suspension will be served at the beginning of the 2024 season. 

RELATED: Bryan Abreu’s 2-game suspension upheld, will be served next season

Houston is 90-72 overall and 39-42 at home. Astros hitters are batting a collective .259, the fourth-best team batting average in MLB play.

Astros lineup:

• Jose Altuve, 2B
• Alex Bregman, 3B
• Yordan Alvarez, DH
• José Abreu, 1B
• Michael Brantley, LF
• Kyle Tucker, RF
• Chas McCormick, CF
• Jeremy Peña, SS
• Martín Maldonado, C

Texas has a 90-72 record overall and a 40-41 record on the road. The Rangers have gone 82-37 in games when they record eight or more hits.

Rangers lineup:

• Marcus Semien, 2B
• Corey Seager, SS
• Evan Carter, LF
• Adolis García, RF
• Mitch Garver, DH
• Jonah Heim, C
• Nathaniel Lowe, 1B
• Josh Jung, 3B
• Leody Taveras, CF

The first pitch is scheduled for 7:03 p.m. CT at Minute Maid Park. The game airs on Fox and FS1. 

RELATED: ALCS Game 7: Pregame festivities to feature 3 Houston icons before Astros, Rangers take the field

Just before 12:30 p.m., the Astros announced that the roof will be closed for Game 7 of the ALCS. The roof has been closed at both the Juice Box and Globe Life Stadium for each game of the ALCS except for Game 5 in Arlington.