MLB playoffs: Astros power past Twins and into ALCS; Phillies take series lead over Braves

José Abreu homered for the third time in two games, a two-run rocket in the fourth inning that launched the Houston Astros to their seventh straight AL Championship Series appearance with a 3-2 win that eliminated the Minnesota Twins in Game 4 of their AL Division Series on Wednesday night.

José Urquidy gave the playoff-tested Astros another solid postseason start, withstanding home runs by Royce Lewis in the first and Edouard Julien in the sixth to hand the ball to the bullpen.

Hector Neris and Bryan Abreu combined for five strikeouts over 2 1/3 hitless innings. Ryan Pressly — who pitched five-plus years for the Twins before being traded to Houston in 2018 — struck out the side in the ninth.

Pressly froze Max Kepler with a full-count fastball to end it, leaving former Astros star Carlos Correa on deck.

Houston will host in-state rival Texas in Game 1 of the ALCS on Sunday, with three-time AL Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander likely on the mound for the Astros in his 36th career postseason start.

The Astros, who are 56-34 in the playoffs since 2017, hit 10 homers in the series. Abreu had eight RBIs.

Michael Brantley got the Astros started with a solo shot in the second against Twins starter Joe Ryan, who was pulled after that inning in manager Rocco Baldelli’s all-out attempt to extend the series.

Caleb Thielbar, the only left-hander on the roster, gave up a leadoff single in the fourth to Yordan Alvarez, a win for the Twins considering he had two doubles and four homers in the series. With one out, Abreu hit a 1-0 fastball to the opposite field for a 3-1 lead.

The rest of the relievers gave the Twins some energy back from the crowd, particularly when Chris Paddack pitched 2 1/3 hitless innings with four strikeouts. But the home team just didn’t have enough hits to overcome all those swings and misses.

Lewis gave the Twins another big-moment home run, a line smash into the left-field seats with a similar trajectory to the one he hit in his first postseason at-bat in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series sweep over Toronto.

Bad luck cost them a critical extra run. Julien led off the game with a double, but Jorge Polanco followed with a line drive straight at Jeremy Peña that was sharp enough to give the shortstop time to make a diving tag on Julien for the double play.

Urquidy, much like Game 3 starter Cristian Javier, had an October track record to rely on after a forgettable regular season. The right-hander, who has logged 42 postseason innings and made his seventh start in the playoffs, missed three months with shoulder trouble this year.

Phillies 10, Braves 2

Philadelphia Phillies’ Bryce Harper reacts after hitting a home run during the fifth inning of Game 3 of the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday in Philadelphia.

(Matt Slocum / Associated Press)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bryce Harper answered Orlando Arcia’s mockery with a mammoth three-run homer and a solo shot, glaring at the shortstop on each trot around the bases, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Atlanta Braves 10-2 in Game 3 of their NL Division Series on Wednesday night.

Nick Castellanos homered twice as Philadelphia rebounded from its disappointing loss at Atlanta on Monday night. Trea Turner and Brandon Marsh also went deep.

Aaron Nola (2-0) and four relievers combined to push the 104-win Braves to the brink of elimination. The Phillies can advance to the NL Championship Series for the second straight season with a win at home Thursday.

Harper continues to make teams pay for any perceived slight, and his eighth and ninth postseason homers in the last two seasons added to his growing October lore.

Not that he needs any incentive to go deep, but Harper tried to atone for a Game 2 baserunning blunder that capped an astonishing collapse. Harper had rounded second base on a deep flyout and was doubled up at first to end the game, the final meltdown in a series of late-inning plays that melted a 4-0 lead into a 5-4 loss.

In the jubilant Atlanta clubhouse after the win, Arcia reportedly cracked, “ha-ha, attaboy, Harper.” Faster than Harper rocked his shot off Game 3 starter Bryce Elder (0-1), the barb got back to the two-time NL MVP.

“If that adds to his motivation,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said ahead of Game 3, “then thank you.”

Harper and Castellanos seemed to send a message about the wisecrack when they arrived at the ballpark wearing gear inspired by Colorado coach Deion Sanders. Harper wore a “ Coach Prime” T-shirt and Castellanos a “Prime” hoodie.

The brash Sanders retorted at criticism earlier this season from a rival coach by saying, “they done messed around and made it personal.”

Harper took it personal.

First, though, it was Castellanos — who said after Game 2 that the Phillies “thrive after we get punched in the face” — who delivered the first counterpunch with a homer in the third that tied it at 1.

Rep Deion, hit dingers. That’s a Philly fact.

Also true, the Phillies pounded the Braves in the third inning of Game 3 of the NLDS for the second straight season.

A year ago, the Phillies returned home from a 1-1 split in Atlanta and scored six runs in the third. The outburst was highlighted by Rhys Hoskins’ bat spike on a three-run homer.

After Castellanos and Harper went deep off Elder in this one for a 4-1 lead, catcher J.T. Realmuto tacked on a two-run double against Michael Tonkin.

Harper added a solo shot to center in front of 45,798 frenzied Phillies fans in the fifth off Brad Hand — well out of reach for Michael Harris II, who saved the Game 2 win with a great leaping catch — and delivered one more death stare to Arcia as he rounded second base.

“Stare downs aren’t an official stat (yet!) but we’re all in awe of Harper over here,” the Elias Sports Bureau wrote on social media.

Nola, eligible for free agency after the World Series, tipped his cap in appreciation of a roaring standing ovation after 5 2/3 innings. He struck out nine and allowed Ozzie Albies’ RBI single in the third.