2020 American League Championship Series
Team (Wins) Managers Season Tampa Bay Rays (4) Kevin Cash 40–20 (.667), GA: 7 Houston Astros (3) Dusty Baker 29–31 (.483), GB: 7
Dates	October 11–17
MVP	Randy Arozarena (Tampa Bay)
Umpires	Lance Barksdale,Ted Barrett,Chris Conroy,Manny Gonzalez,Jeff Nelson (crew chief),Tim Timmons, andJohn Tumpane
Broadcast
Television	TBS
TV announcers	Brian Anderson,Ron Darling,Jeff Francoeur, andLauren Shehadi
Radio	ESPN
Radio announcers	Dan Shulman andChris Singleton
ALDS	Tampa Bay Rays overNew York Yankees (3–2) Houston Astros overOakland Athletics (3–1)
← 2019 ALCS 2021 →

The2020 American League Championship Series was a best-of-seven series inMajor League Baseball's2020 postseason between the twoAmerican League Division Series winners, the defending American League Champion and sixth-seededHouston Astros and the top-seededTampa Bay Rays, for theAmerican League (AL) pennant and the right to play in the2020 World Series. Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, all games for the series were heldbehind closed doors at a neutral site atPetco Park inSan Diego. The games were televised nationally byTBS.

The Rays won the series and their second American League pennant after defeating the Astros, 4–3. In this series, the Astros became just the second team to force a Game 7 in MLB postseason history after trailing a best-of-seven series 3–0, after the2004 Red Sox.^[1]

The Rays would go on to lose to theLos Angeles Dodgers in theWorld Series in six games.

Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, the MLB season was reduced to 60 games. As part of a special postseason format, playoff berths were made available for eight teams in each league: three division winners, three division runners-up, and two wild card teams. With no first-round byes for division winners, all teams were required to play in a Wild Card series.

The Rays made their first ALCS appearance since2008, where they defeated theBoston Red Sox in seven games. On September 23, the Rays clinched their third AL East division title and their first since2010. They swept theToronto Blue Jays in the2020 American League Wild Card Series and beat theNew York Yankees in the2020 American League Division Series.

On September 25, by virtue of aDodgers win over theAngels, the Astros clinched a playoff berth, making it their fourth consecutive postseason appearance, as well as their fifth in six years. The Astros finished the regular season at 29–31 (.483), becoming the second American League team to reach the playoffs with a losing record, the first being the1981 Kansas City Royals. On September 30, the Astros became the first sub-.500 team to win a playoff series, eliminating theMinnesota Twins in a two-game sweep in the2020 American League Wild Card Series after holding the typically potent Twins bats to zero home runs across the entire series. The Astros' win in Game 2 handed the Twins their 18th consecutive postseason loss, a drought dating back to 2004, and the longest such streak in all of North America's major professional sports. The Astros advanced to theALDS where they defeated theOakland Athletics in a four-game upset, scoring a historic 33 runs (and 12 home runs) across 35 innings, and advancing to their fourth straight ALCS. The Astros became the first team to participate in an LCS with a losing record. This was the Astros' eighth overall LCS appearance (four each in the NL and AL).

This was the second postseason meeting between the Rays and Astros, a rematch of the2019 ALDS, which Houston won, 3–2. As part of the terms set for the postseason, all games of the series were played atPetco Park inSan Diego, California, a neutral site. This was the first ALCS to take place exclusively at a neutral site. Tampa Bay as the higher seed served as the home team (batting last each inning) for Games 1, 2, 6, and 7, while Houston as the lower seed was the home team for Games 3, 4, and 5, mirroring the 2–3–2 format typically used in the LCS.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Rays and Astros had not played each other during the regular season. Also due to the pandemic, the ALCS was played without fans in attendance. Both teams stayed at thePark Hyatt Resort Aviara as the designated bubble hotel.^[2]

Tampa Bay won the series, 4–3.

The Tampa Bay Rays held off the Houston Astros, 2–1, in a nail-biter to take Game 1 of the 2020 American League Championship Series on Sunday night in San Diego.Blake Snell gave up six hits and two walks in five innings, while Valdez allowed just two runs on four hits in six innings. The difference in the game was a well placed two-out RBI single fromMike Zunino in the fifth inning to give the Rays a 2–1 lead.Diego Castillo earned the five-out save to preserve the Rays victory.

Former AstroCharlie Morton took the mound for the Rays against Tampa nativeLance McCullers Jr. for the Astros. In the bottom of the first,Manuel Margot put the Rays up 3–0 with a 406-foot home run. Margot would also make a spectacular catch in the top of the second. With two runners in scoring position and two outs in the top of the second,George Springer hit a ball to right field that sliced foul, but was caught by Margot, who flipped over the wall to secure the final out in the inning.Carlos Correa would get the Astros on the board in the sixth with a home run off of relieverPete Fairbanks.Mike Zunino would respond by hitting a solo home run in the seventh off of McCullers.Nick Anderson picked up the a stress-filled save after loading the bases and gettingAlex Bergman to fly out to center.

Joey Wendle gave the Rays a 2–1 advantage with a two-run single in the sixth, andHunter Renfroe separated the game with a two-run double later in Tampa Bay's five-run inning. In the inning, the Rays also got some help from a throwing error byJose Altuve and a pair of hit-by-pitches byEnoli Paredes, and they never looked back. With a 5–2 win in Game 3 of the AL Championship Series on Tuesday night atPetco Park, the Rays moved one win away from going to their second World Series.

In the bottom of the third inning,Tyler Glasnow walkedMartin Maldonado andMichael Brantley before giving up an RBI double toJose Altuve, making the score 2–0. Tampa Bay answered back in the top of the fourth with a single fromAustin Meadows, followed by a home run fromRandy Arozarena, his fifth of the postseason. The game went quiet until the bottom of the fifth inning. Maldonado singled andGeorge Springer hit a towering home run, making the score 4–2 Astros. The Rays made some noise in the top half of the sixth inning, knocking three singles, but ultimately none came in to score. In the top of the ninth inning when Rays shortstopWilly Adames doubled inJoey Wendle, closing the gap to one run. Houston was able to hold on and win their first game of the series.

On the night the Astros staved off elimination,George Springer,Jose Altuve,Carlos Correa,Alex Bregman andYuli Gurriel broke the record for most postseason games played together by any five teammates in baseball history.^[10]

Eleven pitchers were used (seven by Tampa Bay) in a "bullpen game".

George Springer hit a home run to start the bottom of the 1st inning for the Astros.Brandon Lowe tied the game in the 3rd, but the Astros reclaimed the lead in the bottom frame whenMichael Brantley hit a single to right field to score two runs.Randy Arozarena hit a home run offEnoli Paredes in the fifth inning for his sixth home run of the postseason to make it 3-2.Ji-Man Choi tied the game in the eighth inning when he hit a home run off Josh James to tie the game at 3

Astros shortstopCarlos Correa hit a walk-off home run in the ninth inning off relieverNick Anderson. The Astros became just the fourth team in MLB history to force a Game 6 after trailing a best-of-seven series 3–0 (after the1998 Braves,1999 Mets and2004 Red Sox).

Framber Valdez was matched againstBlake Snell. The Astros became just the second team to force a Game 7 in MLB postseason history after trailing a best-of-seven series 3–0 (after the2004 Red Sox).^[11]

Game 6's pivotal frame proved to be the fifth. Rays aceBlake Snell entered hoping to preserve a 1–0 lead, but he was lifted after allowing a walk and a single to begin the inning. Snell was visibly unhappy with managerKevin Cash's decision to remove him from the game in favor of relieverDiego Castillo. He ostensibly grew less happy as Castillo then gave up the lead. By the time the Astros half of the fifth inning was over, the Astros were up by a 4–1 margin thanks to a timely bunt byMartin Maldonado and big hits fromGeorge Springer,Jose Altuve, andCarlos Correa. The Astros would add one run in the sixth and two in the seventh and go on to win the game, 7–4.

This was the first League Championship Series to reach a Game 7 since the2017 ALCS, won by Houston over theNew York Yankees.^[12]

The starting pitchers,Lance McCullers Jr. for Houston andCharlie Morton for Tampa Bay, had both pitched for Houston in Game 7 of the2017 ALCS and Game 7 of the2017 World Series.^[13] Tampa Bay became the first MLB team to win a Game 7 after taking a 3–0 series lead.^[14] Concluding matters wasPete Fairbanks, who gotAledmys Díaz to fly out toManuel Margot, to end the Astros' season and win the second AL pennant for Tampa Bay, the first in 12 seasons. Fairbanks earned his second save this postseason. The Rays became just the second team to win both a division series winner-take-all Game 5 and a League Championship Series winner-take-all Game 7 in the same year (after the2012 San Francisco Giants).

Postgame,Randy Arozarena was awarded theALCS MVP. His seven home runs were the most ever by a rookie in a single postseason, breaking a tie with former RayEvan Longoria (2008). Only three players ever have hit more homers in a single postseason:Barry Bonds (2002 Giants),Carlos Beltran (2004 Astros), andNelson Cruz (2011 Rangers).^[15]

2020 ALCS(4–3):Tampa Bay Rays beatHouston Astros

• 2020 National League Championship Series

• Major League Baseball postseason schedule

• 2020 Major League Baseball season
• American League Championship Series
• Houston Astros postseason
• Tampa Bay Rays postseason
• Baseball competitions in San Diego
• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on baseball
• 2020 in San Diego
• 2020 in sports in California
• October 2020 sports events in the United States

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