Rays infielder Choi Ji-man draws three walks against Justin Verlander

The Tampa Bay Rays, which was on the verge of being swept, beat the Houston Astros on Tuesday (local time) to even the series at 2-2, forcing Game 5. Rays infielder Choi Ji-man drew three walks against Astros ace Justin Verlander, helping his team win Game 4 of the American League Division Series (ALDS).

The Tampa Bay Rays beat the Houston Astros 4-1 in ALDS Game 4 held in St. Petersburg in Florida on Wednesday. The Rays was at risk of being swept after losing Game 1 and 2, but managed to even the series after winning two games in St. Petersburg.

The Astros started Justin Verlander on three days’ rest on Friday, hoping to end the series in Game 4. But the Rays got to Verlander from the first inning. Rays outfielder Tommy Pham blasted a solo home run in the first, and Choi Ji-man drew a walk and Avisail Garcia made a hit against Verlander. With runners on first and second base, Travis d’Arnaud added another score with an RBI single and Joey Wendle followed with a run-scoring double to make the score 3-0. Verlander, who pitched seven scoreless innings in Game 1, completed just 3 2/3 innings, yielding four runs on seven hits and three walks.

The three walks Verlander allowed on the day were all drawn by Choi Ji-man. The Astros ace exited after yielding a walk to Choi in the fourth inning. Verlander threw a total of 19 pitches to Choi in Game 4. Choi made his second postseason hit in the eighth inning when his team was leading 4-1. It was his second consecutive hit after belting a homer in Game 3. Making his postseason debut this year, Choi helped his team snatch victories in ALDS, making one hit and one run, and drawing three walks. The ALDS Game 5 between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Houston Astros will be held at 8:07 a.m. on Thursday.


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