After defeating the Boston Red Sox 4-2 in the American League Championship Series, the Houston Astros have advanced to their third World Series in five years.
After trailing 2-1 in the best-of-seven ALCS, the Astros won the next three games and blanked the Red Sox 5-0 in game six on Friday at Minute Maid Park in Houston.
The Atlanta Braves lead the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 in the National League Championship Series, with game six scheduled for Saturday; the winner will face Houston in the Fall Classic, which begins on Tuesday.
Houston, whose first World Series victory in 2017 was marred by an electronic sign-stealing scandal, was defeated by the Washington Nationals in the 2019 World Series.
The Red Sox were also looking for redemption after being fined twice by Major League Baseball (MLB) for electronic sign-stealing in 2017 and 2018, the year they won their most recent World Series title.
Also read: Emile Smith Rowe praised for extra performance
MLB rules prohibit the use of electronic equipment to steal signs – hand signals used by catchers to tell pitchers what delivery to throw – but the practice, while frowned upon, is not prohibited.
Boston had thrashed the Astros in games two and three of the ALCS, winning 9-5 and 12-3, but then losing the next three games by a combined score of 23-3.
Luis Garcia, a rookie Astros pitcher who limped out of game two in the second inning with a knee injury, took the mound for game six and did not allow a hit until deep into the sixth inning.
Yordan Alvarez collected the ALCS most valuable player award with two doubles and a triple, while right fielder Kyle Tucker hit a three-run homer in the eighth to give the hosts some breathing room.
