#Rays beat Astros to open ALCS with blueprint Yankees would recognize

The Astros’ path to go from the villains of MLB back to the World Series took a hit Sunday night, as the Rays held on for a 2-1 win in Game 1 of the best-of-seven ALCS, with Diego Castillo striking out Jose Altuve to end it.

The Tampa Bay right-hander, dominant in three outings against the Yankees in the ALDS, got an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded to end the top of the eighth and then got Altuve swinging to finish the game with the tying run on second.

“Man, he’s a stud,’’ Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said of Castillo, who tossed four scoreless innings versus the Yankees and was one of the only high-leverage relievers the Rays had available after the bullpen was tested often in the ALDS. “Just a remarkable performance.”

It was a rough start for an Astros team attempting to reach the World Series for the third time in four years. No trip would be more unlikely than this one, after Houston was found last offseason to have used an illegal sign-stealing scheme on its way to the 2017 title, which cost manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow their jobs.

Despite finishing the regular season under .500, the Astros made the expanded playoffs, knocked off the Twins in the wild-card series and then the A’s in the ALDS.

They’ve avoided having to hear the reaction of crowds due to playing in empty stadiums because of COVID-19 protocols, but Tampa Bay left-hander Blake Snell, who gave up one run in five innings on Sunday, said he believes the Rays have become more popular now that they’re facing Houston.

“I know after we beat New York, a lot of people said, ‘Good luck against Houston,’ ’’ Snell said. “I saw a lot more people leaning towards the Rays.”

If the Yankees were watching Sunday, they saw some familiar sights.

There was the solo home run from Altuve in the top of the first — after he ended last year’s ALCS with a homer off Aroldis Chapman. Three innings later, Tampa Bay’s Randy Arozarena — who destroyed the Yankees throughout the ALDS — tied the game with a solo shot in the bottom of the fourth.

And Tampa Bay’s bullpen was again fantastic, tossing four scoreless innings after the Rays took the lead in the bottom of the fifth.

Mike Zunino, another thorn in the Yankees’ side in the previous round, delivered the go-ahead run with a two-out single to center that scored Willy Adames, who had drawn a leadoff walk from Houston left-hander Framber Valdez.

Snell was removed after five innings, having thrown 105 pitches.

Cash first went to John Curtiss, who got out of a two-on, two-out jam by getting Aledmys Diaz to ground out in front of the plate.

Sidearmer Ryan Thompson retired the Astros in order in the seventh.

While the Rays failed to add to their lead, their bullpen continued to answer the call.

Lefty Aaron Loup came in to start the eighth and immediately drilled Michael Brantley. Loup then struck out Alex Bregman.

With Carlos Correa at the plate, a wild pitch sent Brantley to second. After Correa walked, Kyle Tucker singled to load the bases.

Cash then went to Castillo, and he got the struggling Yuli Gurriel to ground into an inning-ending double play to keep it a one-run game.

Castillo gave up a pinch-hit single to Josh Reddick with one out in the ninth but rebounded to get George Springer on a grounder to first and then got Altuve to wave at a slider.

“We had some opportunities,’’ said Houston manager Dusty Baker, whose team left 10 runners on base. “They just got away.”

“We’re here because of all that [bullpen] depth,’’ Cash said. “The one thing you learn with our club in a 60 or 162 [game season], we’re in a lot of tight ballgames and you’ve got to teach yourselves how to win those. There’s no margin for error and I think our guys take that approach every night when they take the field.”