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Friday was the most thrilling night yet of the 2023 MLB playoffs — and it might have been one of the most thrilling nights in postseason history, period.

Never before had multiple playoff teams overcome a multi-run deficit in the eighth inning or later. In the American League Championship Series, Jose Altuve and the defending World Series champion Houston Astros rallied from down 4-2 in the ninth inning to defeat the Texas Rangers and move to one win from returning to the Fall Classic. In the National League, the underdog Arizona Diamondbacks erased a 5-3 Philadelphia Phillies lead in the eighth inning to tie the National League Championship Series at two.

But that doesn’t tell the whole story. Along the way, we had a thundering bat flip and a benches-clearing brawl, a home run into a pool and a ground ball bouncing wildly around the infield. Here are our five favorite moments from a wild night of October baseball.


1. Jose Altuve — who else? — hits a go-ahead home run in the ninth

Altuve — the face of an Astros franchise playing in its seventh straight ALCS — comes up huge for Houston yet again. With runners on first and second after a single and a walk off Rangers closer Jose Leclerc, Altuve sends a ball sailing to left field — just out of rookie Evan Carter‘s grasp — for a three-run, go-ahead homer that drains the life out of a raucous Globe Life Field. The visiting Astros take a 5-4 lead and don’t relinquish it, en route to winning all three games in Arlington and heading home needing just one victory to return to the World Series for the fifth time in seven years.

Stat to know: This is the third time in MLB history a team took a 3-2 series lead after dropping the first two games at home in a best-of-seven postseason series. The Astros, in 2023 and 2019, have now accounted for two of them.


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Garcia stuns Verlander with go-ahead 3-run HR for Rangers

Adolis Garcia crushes a three-run homer off Justin Verlander to give the Rangers the lead.

2. Adolis Garcia puts the Rangers ahead, celebrates with a dramatic bat flip

Before Altuve spoils the party for the Rangers, Adolis Garcia rocks Texas with a dramatic game-changing home run, followed by a bat flip — or bat slam — and a slow, deliberate trot around the bases that doesn’t exactly endear himself to the Astros (see moment No. 3). After Corey Seager doubles and Carter follows with a single to put runners on the corners, Garcia hits a three-run blast — his fourth homer of the postseason — to give Texas a 4-2 lead.

Stat to know: According to ESPN Analytics, up 4-2 in the eighth inning, the Rangers had a 96% chance to take a 3-2 series lead.


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Benches clear, multiple ejections after Adolis Garcia is hit by a pitch

Benches clear after Adolis Garcia gets hit by a pitch, leading to multiple ejections and Dusty Baker refusing to leave the dugout after getting tossed.

3. Garcia gets hit — and the benches clear

In his next at-bat after his dramatic home run, Garcia gets drilled by Houston reliever Bryan Abreu‘s fastball, causing the benches to clear as Garcia and Astros catcher Martin Maldonado exchange heated words. Abreu is ejected from this game. Astros manager Dusty Baker, who throws his cap against the railing while arguing with umpires, is tossed too (and temporarily refuses to leave the dugout). Shortly after, Garcia is also ejected.

Stat to know: Friday was Baker’s 106th playoff game as a manager. It was the first time he’s been ejected.


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Splash down! Alek Thomas’ game-tying HR lands in the pool

Alek Thomas comes up as a pinch hitter and crushes a game-tying two-run home run for the Diamondbacks in the eighth inning.

4. Alek Thomas makes a splash — literally — for the D-backs

The Phillies’ bullpen melts down after taking a 5-3 lead into the eighth inning. After a Lourdes Gurriel Jr. double and an Evan Longoria lineout, pinch hitter Thomas drives a game-tying home run off Craig Kimbrel … right into the Chase Field swimming pool. Later in the inning, with Jose Alvarado now pitching for Philly, catcher Gabriel Moreno delivers the biggest hit of his young career, singling to plate a run and put Arizona ahead for good.

Stat to know: Thomas is the ninth player in MLB history with a game-tying, pinch-hit home run in the eighth inning or later in a playoff game. At 23, he’s the youngest to do it.


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Phillies grab lead after Emmanuel Rivera’s low throw home

With the bases loaded, Diamondbacks 3B Emmanuel Rivera’s throw home is low, allowing the Phillies to score two runs and take the lead.

5. The Phillies score two runs … on a grounder to third

After D-backs lefty Andrew Saalfrank loads the bases on three walks, he’s replaced by Ryan Thompson, who manages to induce a ground ball to third base off the bat of Alec Bohm. Emmanuel Rivera‘s momentum, however, takes him into foul territory, away from home plate. It’s a difficult throw for a force play, and sure enough, the ball bounces off catcher Moreno, allowing not only Kyle Schwarber but also Trea Turner, who never slows down as he rounds third, to score.

Stat to know: Entering Friday, the Phillies were 40-3 (.930) in their playoff history when leading by three-plus runs in the seventh inning or later.

Relive an epic night

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Michigan star TE Loveland ruled out vs. Trojans

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Michigan star TE Loveland ruled out vs. Trojans

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan star tight end Colston Loveland has been ruled out of Saturday’s game against No. 11 USC with an undisclosed injury.

Loveland suffered an apparent shoulder injury in last weekend’s win over Arkansas State. Michigan coach Sherrone Moore hasn’t specified the nature of the injury.

A preseason All-American, Loveland leads the Wolverines with 19 catches for 187 yards; no other Michigan pass catcher has more than nine receptions.

The No. 18 Wolverines also changed starting quarterbacks this week, moving from Davis Warren to Alex Orji. Warren had thrown six interceptions in three games, including three last weekend. He threw two picks in a 31-12 loss to Texas on Sept. 7.

Orji has only seven career passing attempts but has rushed for 58 yards in a relief role this season.

Moore said this week that he wants to see Orji “take the reins” of the Michigan offense with his opportunity.

“Excited for him,” Moore said. “I know he’s chomping at the bit.”

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Sources: Nats demote All-Star after all-nighter

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Sources: Nats demote All-Star after all-nighter

The Washington Nationals demoted All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams to the minor leagues after he stayed out all night at a Chicago-area casino, leaving only hours before a Friday day game against the Chicago Cubs, sources told ESPN’s Jesse Rogers.

The 23-year-old Abrams led off for the Nationals and went 0 for 3 with a walk and strikeout in Friday’s game, which started at 1 p.m. CT. He was informed of the demotion Friday night, sources said. He will be sent to West Palm Beach, home of the Nationals’ minor league complex.

Because Abrams has been with Washington for the entirety of the season, the demotion will not affect his service time. Players earn a full year of service with 172 days on the major league roster, and Abrams already has exceeded that threshold.

Abrams could, however, file a grievance through the Major League Baseball Players Association to fight for lost pay if he believes the demotion unjust. He would lose around $30,000 of his $752,000 salary for missing the season’s final week. Abrams will be arbitration-eligible this winter, entering the system for the first of four times as a Super 2.

Acquired as one of the centerpieces of the Juan Soto trade two years ago, Abrams parlayed a breakout first-half into an All-Star selection, hitting .268/.343/.489 with 15 home runs and 15 stolen bases over the Nationals’ first 89 games. He struggled significantly in the second half, slashing .203/.260/.326, and Abrams’ defense has been a weakness throughout the season.

Still, the Nationals did not intend to send him to the minor leagues until they learned of his time spent at the casino, which was first reported Friday by CHGO.

“I just want it to be known it wasn’t performance-based,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez told reporters Saturday. “It’s an internal issue. I’m not going to give specifics.”

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Clemson DE Woods (leg) sidelined vs. NC State

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Clemson DE Woods (leg) sidelined vs. NC State

CLEMSON, S.C. — Clemson defensive end Peter Woods will not play for the 21st-ranked Tigers against NC State on Saturday because of a leg injury.

The team announced Woods’ status about 90 minutes before kickoff. Woods, 6-foot-3, 315 pounds, got hurt two weeks ago on a chop block below the knee in a 66-20 victory over App State. Woods came back in briefly after getting checked then missed the second half.

The Tigers were off last weekend.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has said Woods’ playing status was day-to-day. Swinney said Woods had not missed a practice. But Woods came out to the field for warmups in sneakers and sweatpants while other defensive linemen went through drills.

Woods leads the Tigers with 2½ tackles for loss.

Third-year sophomore Jahiem Lawson is listed as Woods’ backup on the depth chart.

NC State will be without starting quarterback Grayson McCall, who was hurt last week in a win over Louisiana Tech. Freshman CJ Bailey started for the Wolfpack.

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