ALCS Game 7: How the Rangers routed the Astros 11-4 to advance to the World Series

The Texas Rangers are headed to the World Series.

Texas continued its incredible postseason by routing the defending champion Astros, 11-4, at Minute Maid Park on Monday.

The Rangers won the best-of-seven American League Championship Series 4-3, winning all four games in Houston.

Adolis Garcia hit two home runs, his fourth and fifth in the series.

The Rangers await the winner of the National League Championship Series. Philadelphia and Arizona meet in Game 7 on Tuesday. Game 1 of the World Series will be played at Globe Life Field on Friday.

A look at the key plays in the ALCS Game 7:

First inning

TEXAS: With one out, Corey Seager slugs a long home run to right field for a quick 1-0 Rangers lead. Evan Carter walks, then steals second base. Adols Garcia then singles off the left field wall, scoring Carter and the Rangers lead 2-0. Garcia then steals sceond with Mitch Garver up. Garver hits a bloop single into center field, scoring Garcia and the Rangers lead 3-0. Jonah Heim follows with a single, moving Garver to third and knocking out Houston starting pitcher Cristian Javier. He only retired one of six Rangers batters. Phil Maton takes over on the mound, striking out Nathan Lowe and Josh Jung.

HOUSTON: With the Rangers’ Max Scherzer on the mound, Jose Altuve opens the inning with a double off the left field wall. Alex Bregman grounds out to second, Yordan Alvarez is then intentionally walked. With runners on first and second, Jose Abreu singles down the left field line, scoring Altuve to cut lead to 3-1. Michael Brantley grounds into inning-ending double play. RANGERS LEAD 3-1.

Second inning

TEXAS: Hunter Brown enters game as the third pitcher for the Astros. Leody Taveras grounds out, Marcus Semien pope out to center, Corey Seager doubles to left-center, then Evan Carter grounds out to end the inning.

HOUSTON: Kyle Tucker pops out, Chas McCormick walks, steals second while Jeremy Pena bats. Scherzer then strikes out Pena and Martin Maldonado to end the inning. RANGERS REMAIN AHEAD, 3-1.

Third inning

TEXAS: Adolis Garcia homers inside the right field foul pole, increasing the Rangers lead to 4-1 (he’s homered in four consecutive games). Mitch Garver strikes out,, Jonah Heim grounds out, Nathan Lowe strikes out.

HOUSTON: Jose Altuve grounds out, Alex Bregman homers to left to pull Astros within 4-2. Yordan Alvarez triples off the left field wall. Jose Abreu grounds out to third. Rangers manager Bruce Bochy then removes Scherzer, bringing in lefty Jordan Montgomery who induces Michael Brantley into an inning-ending line out. RANGERS 4, ASTROS 2

Fourth inning

TEXAS: J.P. France enters game as the next Astros’ pitcher. Josh ung singles to left, Leody Taveras strikes out, Marcus Semien walks, moving Jung to second base. Corey Seager then hits an infield single off first baseman Abreu’s glove, loading the bases. Evan Carter then smacks a two-run double down the right-field line, scoring Jung and Semien for a 6-2 Rangers lead. But, they aren’t done. Adolis Garcia smacks a two-run single to left for an 8-2 Rangers lead. Mitch Garver pops out for the second out; Jonah Heim singles to right to knock out France.Hector Neris enters the game and walks Nathan Lowe on four pitches, loading the bases for Josh Jung who grounds out to end the inning. RANGERS 8, ASTROS 2

HOUSTON: Kyle Tucker strikes out, Chas McCormick and Jeremy Pena single, Martin Maldonado lines out to right. Jose Altuve flies out to right to end the inning. RANGERS REMAIN AHEAD 8-2

Fifth inning

TEXAS: Leody Taveras strikes out, Marcus Semien pops out, Corey Seager walks, Evan Carter pops out to end the inning. RANGERS 8, ASTROS 2

HOUSTON: Yordan Garcia gets a one-run single, but it’s all the offense in the inning. RANGERS 8, ASTROS 2

Sixth inning

TEXAS: With one out, Mitch Garver is hit by a pitch. After Jonah Heim strikes out, Nathan Lowe hits a two-run home run to right field to push RANGERS AHEAD 10-2.

HOUSTON: Josh Sborz replaces Montgomery and retires the Astros in order.

Seventh inning

TEXAS: Jose Urquidy comes in to pitch for the Astros. Leody Taveras flies out to center, Marcus Semien lines out to third base, Corey Seager popus out to center. First 1-2-3 inning of the game for the Rangers.

HOUSTON:With two outs, Alex Bergman doubles to left-center. Alroldis Chapman then relieves Sborz. Chapman allows a single to Yordan Alvarez, scoring Bergman to cut Rangers lead to 10-3.

Eighth inning

TEXAS: Evan Carter grounds out, Adolis Garcia hits another home run (his second tonight fifth in four games). Rangers lead 11-3.

HOUSTON: The Astros put two runners on base with one out, however they fail to score.

Ninth inning

TEXAS: Marcus Semien singles with two out, but the Rangers do not threaten. Rangers hold on to 11-3 lead heading to bottom of the ninth.

HOUSTON: Jose Altuve homers on the first pitch of the inning off Rangers reliever Jose Leclerc, Rangers lead 11-4. After Alex Bregman walks, Leclerc strikes out Yordan Garcia. But the Astros aren’t done quite yet. Jose Abreu singles to right, moving Bregman to second. Michael Brantley pops out for the second out. Then Kyle Tucker, who has struggled throughout the postseason, grounds out to end the game and the series.

The starting lineups