Houston Astros close in on World Series spot as Hoskins inspires Phillies to vital win
Pitcher Christian Javier led the charge for the Astros, pitching five of the nine innings and giving up just one hit - sucking the life out of a frustrated Yankees batting line-up, striking out five in the process.
The Astros' bats have been on fire in this American League Championship Series (ALCS), helping their side to a 2-0 lead in this best-of-seven contest before Saturday's clash.
That momentum didn't falter as Christian McCormack took Yankees' pitcher Gerrit Cole deep for a two-run home run in the second inning, giving the AL West champions the perfect platform.
With Javier popping up Yankees' batters with regularity, the Astros added to the lead in the sixth inning.
Christian Vazquez singled to right, scoring both runners on second and third base and capping off another great night for the 2017 World Champions and last year's beaten finalists.
The teams meet again in Yankees Stadium on Sunday with New York knowing a fourth-straight loss would spell the end to their 2022 campaign in the most humiliating manner.
Nestor Cortes, one of their standout players from the season, takes to the mound, facing up against Lance McCullers Jr.
Follow the fourth installment of the ALCS with Flashscore.
In the National League Championship Series (NLCS) the Philidelphia Phillies are also just one game away from the World Series after a frantic fourth game against the San Diego Padres as they won 10-6 at home.
It seemed like the day would spell defeat for the Phillies after a disastrous first inning where they found themselves 4-0 down within minutes. Manny Machado hit a home run before Brandon Drury drove in two runs with a hard-hit double. This led to the hosts going to their bullpen far, far earlier than they would have wanted.
However, this Phillies team is made of stern stuff and they replied with three runs of their own in the bottom half of the opening inning, two of them coming from the bat of Rhys Hoskins as he homered.
Bryce Harper then doubled to drive in JT Realmuto, before the game settled down. More fireworks to come.
Philidelphia leveled the game in the fourth inning, but they weren't level for long as the talented Juan Soto sent a no-doubter into the crowd to send his San Diego side back into a two-run lead.
But from then on, the game slipped away from the Padres. Hoskins launched another bomb over the fences to bring the game level in the bottom of the fifth before the runs kept rolling for the hosts. They scored four in the fifth, one in the sixth and another in the seventh for a vital win as they go in search of their first World Series appearance since 2009.
The pair face off again on Sunday with the Padres hoping they can force Game Six in San Diego - follow the clash with Flashscore.