Takeaways, analysis as D-backs, Astros get wins on LCS Day 5

It was an eventful Thursday in the league championship series as the 2023 MLB playoffs rolled on.

The Arizona Diamondbacks got a big win at home following a rough 0-2 start to the NLCS, as Ketel Marte walked it off for a 2-1 win against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 3. The Houston Astros continued a dominant showing in Arlington, Texas, evening the series at 2-2 with a 10-3 victory over the Texas Rangers.

We have all the action covered with live updates and takeaways from Texas and Arizona as the games play out.

Key links: Full playoffs schedule and results

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Takeaways

Astros 10, Rangers 3: Clearly, the Astros just needed to leave Houston. The defending champions have inexplicably performed far better on the road than at home this season and have been flat-out dominant in Arlington. The trend has continued in an American League Championship Series that has suddenly shifted in the Astros’ favor. One night after an eight-run effort in Game 3, the Astros got nine hits and eight RBIs from the top five hitters in their lineup (Jose Altuve, Mauricio Dubon, Alex Bregman, Yordan Alvarez and Jose Abreu).

They took a 3-0 lead on Andrew Heaney in the first inning. After the Rangers came back to tie it, they put together a deflating four-run fourth, highlighted by Abreu’s two-out, three-run, 438-foot drive to left-center field. Chas McCormick, their No. 7 hitter, essentially finished the Rangers with his two-run homer in the seventh. With the series tied at 2, the Astros have home-field advantage again. Even better: They didn’t have to use any of their high-leverage relievers in Game 4, setting them up for a critical Game 5 that will see Jordan Montgomery face off against Justin Verlander once again. The Astros are inevitable. — Alden Gonzalez

Diamondbacks 2, Phillies 1: All it takes is one game. That’s what the Diamondbacks told themselves Thursday. The Phillies looked unbeatable. They were a machine, constructed to run roughshod through the postseason. And even in a game where the Phillies’ offense struggled against Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt, their own starter, Ranger Suarez, was matching him zero for zero. But Arizona didn’t cave. It answered the Phillies’ seventh-inning run with one of its own, and then came the ninth. The Diamondbacks loaded the bases, and Ketel Marte whacked a single off Craig Kimbrel, and the sold-out crowd at Chase Field went bonkers for the Diamondbacks saving their season.

Next is Game 4 — a wild card. The Diamondbacks, without a proper starter, are going full bullpen game. The Phillies will either go with Taijuan Walker or Cristopher Sanchez, each of whom last pitched Sept. 30. It’s as winnable a game as the Diamondbacks are going to have from here, and after knocking out a pair of division winners in Milwaukee and Los Angeles, doubting them anymore is inadvisable. — Jeff Passan

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