MLB playoffs 2023 Was it intentional Inside the hit by pitch that turned Game 5 of the ALCS upside down

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ARLINGTON, Texas So as not to leave you in suspense, well start with what everyone wanted to know after the Astros beat the Rangers 5-4 to take a three-games-to-two series lead in the ALCS: Was it intentional?

Everybody on their side is going to say it wasn't, Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien said. Everybody on this side is going to say it was.

Such is the predicament of polling people with not just some skin but also their entire selves in the game on a divisive call made when emotions ran high. But lets back up.

Through the first four games of the ALCS, there was not one single lead change. Whichever team scored first went on to win, and the team that scored first was never the home team. The players and plays were good, but the baseball, to be honest, was a little dull.

Not so in Game 5. With the series tied at two apiece, the Rangers and Astros met in a clash that made the Lone Star State showdown worthy of launching a renewed rivalry.

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