MLB: Astros defeat Phillies 4-1 to win second World Series crown

WASHINGTON -- Yordan Alvarez smashed a three-run homer and the Houston Astros captured their second World Series in six seasons on Saturday with a 4-1 victory over Philadelphia.

The Cuban slugger's sixth-inning blast off Phillies relief pitcher Jose Alvarado gave Houston the lead for good as the Astros took Major League Baseball's best-of-seven championship final four games to two.

"I just tried to stay a little calm and get a good pitch to swing at and that's what I did," Alvarez said of his third game-winning playoff homer.

"It was amazing. When I was rounding second base I felt the whole stadium moving."

The home victory brought 73-year-old Astros manager Dusty Baker his first World Series crown in 25 seasons as an MLB bench boss.

"That's the final chapter to the movie," Baker said. "They told me in spring training they were going to win. Now what's next? Party."

Baker, whose 2,093 wins were the most for any manager without a World Series title, quickly enjoyed the long-sought title.

"It hit me all right," Baker said. "It hit me as soon as Yordan hit that ball over the moon out there."

The Astros, in their fourth World Series in six seasons and fifth overall, won their only prior title in 2017.

Many MLB fans see that as a tainted title after the Astros were found to have used an electronic sign stealing system, allowing Houston batters to know what pitch was coming.

Baker took over in January 2020 after A.J. Hinch was fired over the scandal and helped the Astros put the shameful episode behind them.

"All the stuff we've been going through the last three years, hopefully it's over," Baker said. "You've got to let it ride."

The Astros, who lost the 2019 World Series to Washington and 2021 Series to Atlanta, were emotional about winning the crown for Baker.

"He means everything," said Astros star Jose Altuve, among five players from 2017 still on the roster. "He came here at the right time with the right team."

Houston's Jeremy Pena became the first rookie position player to be named World Series Most Valuable Player and only the second rookie MVP of a league final and World Series.

The 25-year-old Dominican became the first rookie with a hit in each of the first six games of a World Series.

"Individual awards are cool and all but that's the trophy we want right there," Pena said, looking at the champion's trophy. "This is what we dream about."

The Phillies, who sought their third World Series crown after 1980 and 2008, had not reached the playoffs since 2011 and hadn't reached the World Series since 2009.

"I'm really proud of them," Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. "They came to play every day. They played hard."

Philadelphia's Zack Wheeler took his second loss of the Series while Dominican left-hander Framber Valdez struck out nine and improved to 3-0 in the playoffs.

Kyle Schwarber blasted a solo homer in the sixth to give Philadelphia a 1-0 lead.

But in the bottom of the sixth, Altuve reached first base on a fielder's choice and took third on a Pena single, prompting the Phillies to remove Wheeler for Alvarado.

- Amazing pitching -

Alvarez then blasted the ball over the centerfield wall to put the hosts in front.

"Yordan has been doing it all year," Pena said. "Always trust the big man. That was impressive."

"I knew as soon as he hit that one it was a big one," Altuve said. "I thought 3-1 would be a good lead for us to win the ball game."

Alex Bregman added another run in the sixth when he walked, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on a Christian Vazquez single to create the final margin.

Astros relief pitchers allowed only two runs over 18 1/3 innings with 25 strikeouts in five games and again dominated Phillies batters over the final three innings to seal victory.

"This pitching staff has been amazing all year," Houston's Martin Maldonado said. "The bullpen has been really good. We get to them and then adios."

Agence France-Presse

MLB: Astros, Phillies win big to reach brink of World Series

NEW YORK -- The Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros advanced within a victory of the World Series thanks to Major League Baseball playoff triumphs on Saturday in vastly different fashions.

Rhys Hoskins smashed two home runs as Philadelphia outslugged visiting San Diego 10-6 while Houston pitchers allowed the host New York Yankees only one hit over eight innings in a 5-0 shutout.

The Phillies seized a 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven National League Championship Series against the Padres, while Houston took a 3-0 edge over the Yankees in the American League Championship Series.

The Astros can complete a sweep on Sunday in New York to reach the World Series for the fourth time in six seasons, while the Phillies -- in the playoffs for the first time since 2011 -- can reach the World Series for the first time since 2009 with a Sunday home triumph.

"It was a big win for us," Houston's Cristian Vazquez said. "Every night we have a big chance to win. We have big pieces on the team and we're in a good place now. It's a special team."

J.T. Realmuto and Kyle Schwarber added solo homers to Hoskins' pair of two-run Hoskins homers as Philadelphia rallied after trailing 4-0, matching their greatest playoff comeback victory ever.

"Just persistent at-bats," Realmuto said. "As soon as we got down 4-0 we got back in the dugout and we just kind of regrouped as a team and said, 'There's a lot of ballgame left. We're going to score runs today.'

"We just never lost that confidence."

The Astros, in the ALCS for a record sixth consecutive season, won the title in 2017 but lost in 2019 and last year.

Chas McCormick smacked a home run and Christian Vazquez drove in two runs for Houston while 25-year-old Dominican right-hander Cristian Javier, making his first start in three weeks, hurled 5 1/3 shutout innings, striking out five while allowing only one hit, and five relievers completed a three-hit shutout.

"He's got one of the best fastballs and sliders in the game," catcher Vazquez said of Javier. "So attacking hitters, that's the key for him, and getting ahead."

McCormick's two-run homer in the second inning, a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Trey Mancini in the sixth and a two-run Vazquez single to left field in the sixth provided all the scoring Houston needed.

The Yankees, winners of a record 27 MLB titles, have not reached the World Series since beating Philadelphia for the 2009 crown. They have lost their past four ALCS appearances, the past two to Houston.

- Phillies rally to win -

At Philadelphia, it was a slugfest from the start as the Padres grabbed a 4-3 lead after the opening inning.

Manny Machado smacked a solo homer, Brandon Drury belted a two-run double and Drury scored on Kim Ha-seong's single to give San Diego a 4-0 edge.

Philadelphia answered in the bottom of the first on a two-run Hoskins homer and a Bryce Harper run-scoring double, then equalized in the fourth when Nick Castellanos doubled and scored on Bryson Stott's single.

San Diego's Juan Soto smashed a two-run homer in the fifth to give the Padres a 6-4 lead, but Hoskins equalized on a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth.

Realmuto then walked and scored on Harper's double to give the hosts their first lead. Castellanos then singled in Harper for an 8-6 Phillies edge, with Schwarber and Realmuto adding solo homers in the sixth and seventh innings respectively.

Agence France-Presse

MLB: Max effort as Braves overpower Astros to win World Series

LOS ANGELES --  Max Fried hurled six shutout innings and Jorge Soler smashed a towering home run as the Atlanta Braves captured their first World Series since 1995 with a 7-0 rout of the Houston Astros on Tuesday.

Starting pitcher Fried put on a clinic in game six striking out six batters for the Braves, who wrapped up the best-of-seven series four games to two in front of a crowd of 42,060 at Minute Maid Park in Texas.

"I had to dig deep," said the lefthander Fried. "I knew how much they believed in me and I just had to go out there and give it one more outing. I couldn't be happier to do it with this group of guys."

Fried got plenty of support from the Braves' batters, who scored most of their runs on Tuesday via the long ball. 

Cuba's Soler was the biggest contributer on offence and was named MVP of the 2021 World Series. The veteran outfielder, whom the Braves acquired at the Major League Baseball trade deadline, hit his third go-ahead home run of the series.

The designated hitter clobbered a 446-foot three run homer out of the ballpark in the third, Dansby Swanson belted a two-run shot two innings later to give the Braves a commanding 5-0 lead and Freddie Freeman had a solo shot in the seventh to round out the scoring.

Closer Will Smith got Astros batter Yuli Gurriel to ground out to shortstop Swanson for the final out, sparking a wild celebration on the field.

While the 27-year-old Fried rebounded from a pair of subpar performances in his two previous outings, the Astros couldn't overcome their pitching woes, which included a patchwork of relievers coming on after an early exit by rookie starter Luis Garcia.

"It's one of those dream come true moments," Fried said. "You dream about it happening and especially being able to come back and redeem myself after game two. At the end of the day I was just trying to win a ball game for these guys. I couldn't be happier for this group."

The Braves jumped out to a big lead early for the second straight game. They hit a grand slam in the first inning of game five but couldn't hold onto the lead. 

This time there was no letdown as Fried and his two relievers, Tyler Matzek and Smith, held the powerful Houston batters in check and the Braves won their second championship since the franchise moved to Atlanta in 1966.

"We've been waiting for a championship in this city for a long time and I'm glad we delivered it," said Freeman.

There was drama from the opening inning as Fried escaped an injury, while having to work his way out of an early jam. The Astros had runners on second and third when Fried struck out Gurriel to end the inning. 

One of those stranded runners was Michael Brantley who reached first base safely despite missing the bag and stomping on the right ankle of Fried, who was not hurt. The Braves did not challenge the call but replays showed they could have.

In the third inning, Soler's monster homer with two outs to left field also scored Eddie Rosario and Ozzie Albies. Soler's shot sailed so far that it cleared the wall and landed on the street outside the Houston stadium.

It was Soler's third home run of this World Series, tying him with three others for the most by a Braves' player, including Hank Aaron who did it in 1957. The others are Ryan Klesko in 1995 and Lonnie Smith in 1991.

- Soler power -

Soler's blast chased Astros starter Garcia from the mound. The rookie righthander was pitching on just three days rest so manager Dusty Baker wasted no time giving him the hook. In two and two thirds innings, Garcia allowed three runs on two hits and struck out three.

The Braves added three more runs in the fifth inning, including Swanson's two run homer to left field that scored Albies for his second run of the game. 

First baseman Freeman made it 6-0 with a double to deep centre field which scored Soler, who reached base on a walk.

Freeman added another home run in the seventh to make it 7-0.

"I still have some unfinished business. I love these guys over here," said Astros Baker.

The World Series triumph completed a remarkable turnaround for Atlanta, who were 52-55 on August 1 and seemingly out of contention for a playoff place after a season disrupted by injuries to key personnel.

"Every single kind of thing that could go wrong, went wrong, and we overcame every single one of those things," Freeman said.

"This group came every single day and worked and worked and worked, and now we're world champions."

Agence France-Presse

Braves vs Astros: A World Series 6 decades in the making

Freddie Freeman swinging onto baseball’s biggest stage for the first time, Jose Altuve & Co. back for more. Luis Garcia, Framber Valdez and a fresh set of Houston arms facing Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley and these eager, young Atlanta bats.

And the endless quest for Mr. Dusty Baker.

Braves-Astros, a lot to savor in this World Series — even a family faceoff. Atlanta manager Brian Snitker’s son, Troy, is a Houston hitting coach.

“It’s like the Snitkers are going to have a World Series trophy in their house here,” dad said Saturday night. “I don’t know who is going to own it, but we’re going to have one. So that’s a pretty cool thing, too.”

A matchup six decades in the making, pairing former National League rivals who’ve played more than 700 times, including five postseason series. Think of The Hammer and The Toy Cannon teeing up home run derby at the Astrodome, or Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz vs. Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio on a June evening on TBS.

Because of scheduling and COVID-19, the Astros and Braves haven’t seen each other since 2017. They’ll now meet for Game 1 on Tuesday night in Houston.

The Astros opened as a 3-2 favorite on the FanDuel site.

But before we begin, let’s just say it: There are many fans who might not be thrilled to see either team here in late October.

Altuve and Astros teammates Carlos Correa, Alex Bregman and Yuli Gurriel will forever wear the label of cheaters after being part of a team that devised an illegal, sign-stealing scheme on its way to the 2017 championship.

At Minute Maid Park, they’re cheered. At every other ballpark, they’re heckled -- and worse -- as the game’s worst villains.

“Ever since the news came out, the bad news that we’ve had to deal with about what happened in 2017, I think we’ve all wanted to prove what kind of class of players that we are and team that we are,” AL Championship Series MVP Yordan Alvarez said.

“I wasn’t here with the team in 2017, but I’ve gotten booed just as equal as anybody else. So I think we all have the same mentality that we really want to win a World Series to demonstrate that we are just a great team,” he said.

The Astros are in the World Series for the third time in five years and got there minus ace Justin Verlander, who missed the season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

The Braves overcame a season-ending knee injury to dynamic star Ronald Acuña Jr. in July and surged after being stuck at 52-55 in early August. Boosted by NL Championship Series MVP Eddie Rosario, Atlanta is making its first appearance in the Fall Classic since 1999.

Yet while the roster and stadium have changed, the sights and sounds in Atlanta still remain. Throughout the NLCS, fans at Truist Park emphatically chopped and chanted during big moments for the Braves.

In an era of social reckoning that saw the Cleveland Indians change their name to the Guardians and Washington’s NFL team get rid of a nickname considered racist, the scene in Atlanta is sure to draw increased attention.

On the field — and the bench — a lot of eyes will be on Baker.

He won the World Series as a player with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1981 and has taken five teams to the playoffs as a manager but never won the crown.

Baker took this job in 2020 in the wake of Houston’s cheating scandal -- “there’s a few things I still hadn’t accomplished” -- and at 72, with a lifetime of credentials, gets another chance.

“Last year I felt like a substitute teacher, really. I was an outsider,” Baker said. “But this year, they made me feel like I was one of them and they were definitely always one of me. That’s what it’s all about. Everybody talks teamwork, they talk about a team, but it’s a feeling that you get for each other.”

Baker’s history in this matchup runs especially deep. Playing with Braves great Hank Aaron in 1968, he got first major league hit at the Astrodome in a loss to Jimmy Wynn and Houston.

Over the years, these teams met a lot, starting when the 1962 expansion Houston Colt .45s took on the Milwaukee Braves. There were the days of catcher Joe Torre trying to throw out young Joe Morgan, the Niekro brothers pitching against each other and fireballing Nolan Ryan facing Dale Murphy.

The .45s became the Astros in 1965 and from 1997-2005, the clubs played five times in the NL Division Series, with Atlanta winning three of the matchups. Houston moved from NL Central to the AL West in 2013.

Snitker certainly followed all of them. The 66-year-old Atlanta manager has spent four decades in the Braves’ organization as a player, coach and skipper.

He tuned in Friday night when the Astros and son Troy beat Boston in the clinching Game 6 of the ALCS.

“That was neat. Proud of him. Got to FaceTime with him. Watched the celebration,” he said, hours before the Braves finished off the Dodgers in Game 6 of the NLCS.

“I told him the first time, it’s not this easy, you know, it’s really hard to get there, as we’re seeing. But it’s been a great experience for him and I’m happy for him. I said, I hope I can join you,” he said.

Hours later, he and the Braves were on their way.

-Associated Press

MLB: Nats, Astros cancel workouts for lack of virus test results

WASHINGTON -- The reigning World Series champion Washington Nationals and the team they beat for the title, the Houston Astros, called off practice Monday after not receiving results from COVID-19 tests taken Friday.

Nationals general manager and baseball operations president Mike Rizzo warned that Major League Baseball's bid to stage a coronavirus-shortened 2020 season was in jeopardy unless test results were available in a more timely fashion.

"Without accurate and timely testing it is simply not safe for us to continue with summer camp," Rizzo said.

"Major League Baseball needs to work quickly to resolve issues with their process and their lab. Otherwise, summer camp and the 2020 season are at risk."

MLB, however, blamed the issue on July 4 US Independence Day holiday delivery delays, saying all results would be in by Monday night and such a delay should not happen again.

"Our plan required extensive delivery and shipping services, including proactive special accommodations to account for the holiday weekend," an MLB statement said. "The vast majority of those deliveries occurred without incident and allowed the protocols to function as planned.

"Unfortunately, several situations included unforeseen delays. We have addressed the delays caused by the holiday weekend and do not expect a recurrence."

All Nationals players and staff were tested Friday for coronavirus as part of MLB's protocols as pre-season workouts began ahead of a planned August 23 start of games in home stadiums without spectators.

"Seventy-two hours later, we have yet to receive the results of those tests," Rizzo said. "We cannot have our players and staff work at risk.

"Therefore, we have cancelled our team workout scheduled for this morning. We will not sacrifice the health and safety of our players, staff and their families."

Astros general manager James Click, whose club fell to Washington in seven games in last year's best-of-seven championship series, said his team also had not gotten Friday results.

"The safety of our players and staff remains our top priority," Click said. "The team is still awaiting results from COVID-19 tests taken on Friday. Due to the delay in receiving these results, coupled with the contagious nature of the virus, we felt it was prudent to cancel today's workouts."

The Astros continue to follow testing and screening protocols and believe in the protocols, Click said.

"Despite these delays over the holiday weekend, we're optimistic that the this process will be ironed out and we'll be back on the field and ready to compete for a championship soon," Click said.

MLB clubs are set to face only division foes and nearby rivals from the opposite league in a season cut to 60 games per club with playoffs scheduled as usual in October.

- Unforeseen difficulties -

MLB claimed more than 95% of tests were taken, analyzed and shared with teams by Monday, with 98% (3,654 of 3,740) of tests taken from July 27-June 3 reported by MLB's Utah laboratory, most of them a day after being taken.

"The process has not been without some unforeseen difficulties, which are being addressed with the service providers that are essential to the execution of the protocols," MLB said.

MLB teams shifted Monday to every other day COVID-19 testing through the end of the World Series.

MLB said Utah lab turnaround time was "unprecedented in COVID testing" and includes extra positives confirmation to prevent false positives, with the lab working seven days a week.

The Nationals said Sunday that two of 60 players were positive for COVID-19 and did not show up at the ballpark, but manager Dave Martinez said those results came from tests taken last Wednesday.

Nationals pitcher Sean Doolittle said the team had not received COVID-19 safety masks and gloves and stressed in tweets Sunday night the need for faster results.

"We need help to make this work. Faster test results, PPE for high risk individuals and players/staff with high risk family members," he tweeted.

Agence France-Presse

MLB: Astros' Verlander will donate pay during MLB shutdown

Veteran Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander said he will donate his adjusted paycheck during MLB's coronavirus shutdown to multiple organizations providing assistance during the crisis.

Verlander made the announcement via Instagram on Saturday along with his wife, Kate Upton.

"Everyone around the world is affected by this virus, and we hope to contribute to the families and jobs affected, the healthcare workers and first responders on the front lines and the many others in need of basic necessities, medical supplies and support at home," Verlander wrote on his post. 


"As soon as the first paycheck is received we will be highlighting the first organization."

MLB players are receiving up-front pay while baseball is on hiatus. Verlander is scheduled to receive $286,500 over the course of 60 days, with players obligated to pay back the up-front sum if the season is played. 

The 37-year old was scheduled to make $33 million this season.

"We know everyone is impacted by this crisis, but for those who are able, we encourage you to stay home to help flatten the curve and look to those around you who need a helping hand," Verlander wrote.

Verlander was the American League's Cy Young Award winner in 2019, after he finished with a 21-6 record and a 2.58 ERA over 34 starts. He pitched a league-best 223 innings for the Astros.

The two-time Cy Young Award winner and 2011 AL MVP is 225-129 over 453 starts during a 15-year career with the Detroit Tigers and Astros.

-Field Level Media/Reuters-

Baseball: Ex-Astros pitcher explains why he blew whistle on sign-stealing scam

Oakland Athletics right-hander Mike Fiers said he isn't interested in receiving extra security protection through the 2020 season during an interview with The Athletic on Wednesday.

Fiers divulged details about how the Houston Astros used a sign-stealing system during the 2017 season last November, leading to sanctions against his former club and drawing criticism in some corners for violating the "unwritten rules" of baseball.

Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said Tuesday that "we will take every possible step to protect Mike Fiers wherever he's playing, whether it's in Houston or somewhere else."

But Fiers isn't looking for that type of help.

"I'm not asking for extra security," Fiers told The Athletic. "I'm here to play baseball and I can defend myself, if anything. We do have National League games, and I'm going to have to get into the box (to hit) just like everybody else. It's part of the game. If they decide to throw at me, then they throw at me. There's nothing much you can do about it."

The 34-year-old Fiers didn't foresee his whistleblowing decision leading to this loud of an uproar.

Players all around the majors are criticizing the methods of the Astros, with some saying their 2017 World Series crown should be vacated.

At the same type, Houston players are defending their championship and lashing back at the critics.

Others question why Fiers waited two years before speaking up.

As for Fiers, a conclusion to the madness would be just fine.

"We want this to be over. We want an even playing field. It's not a personal thing," Fiers said. "It's just playing the game and respecting the game that we all grew up loving and just competing. Going out there and playing the game."

Hearing the reactions and getting away from the situation is difficult for Fiers as everywhere he goes, it comes up.

"It's kind of hard to not see it," Fiers said. "Especially when reporters ask you, your team, whoever. Everyone's on social media. Your teammates see that as well, and they'll show you. So it's kind of hard to stay away from it and focus on pitching for this team. At the end of the day, everyone wants an even playing field. Everyone wants to perform and win for their team. And that's what we're doing. It's not much more than that."

Emotions will be particularly tense when Oakland makes three road trips to Houston this season. The first is scheduled for April 24-26.

Fiers said he is not concerned for his safety in Houston.

"No. Everyone's crazy -- everyone can get crazy at a certain point if they don't like something that you do," Fiers said. "Listen ... everyone's mad at (the Astros). There are teams that are mad. It doesn't matter what it is, extra protection, I mean, what are you going to do? There's not much you can do."

Fiers compiled a career-best 15-4 record in 33 starts for Oakland last season. He pitched his second career no-hitter and finished with a 3.90 ERA.

He spent two-plus seasons with the Astros from 2015-17 and was able to detail the depth of the franchise's sign-stealing system to MLB officials.

Astros manager A.J. Hinch was fired in the fallout of the scandal, and it also led to the Boston Red Sox parting ways with manager Alex Cora (Houston's bench coach at the time) and the New York Mets moving on from recently hired manager Carlos Beltran (a Houston player at the time). Houston general manager Jeff Luhnow also was dismissed.

Luhnow and Hinch were suspended by MLB, which also fined the franchise $5 million and stripped the team of its draft picks in the first and second rounds over the next two seasons.

"I want to be really clear about this: Mike, who I do not know at all, did the industry a service," Manfred told reporters Tuesday. "I do believe that we will be a better institution when we emerge at the end of this episode, and without a Mike Fiers, we probably would have had a very difficult time cleaning this up. It would have taken longer.

"... I have a real problem with anyone that suggests Mike did anything other than the right thing."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Baseball: Stripping Astros of 2017 crown 'futile' - MLB chief

LOS ANGELES -- Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred defended his decision not to strip the Houston Astros of their scandal-tainted 2017 World Series crown on Sunday, saying removing the title would have been a "futile" act.

In an interview with ESPN, Manfred said the league had considered taking the 2017 title away from the Astros but had been reluctant to impose what would have been an unprecedented sanction.

The Astros were fined $5 million by the league for using an illegal, technology-assisted system to record and decode signals from opposition pitchers during their championship-winning campaign three years ago.

Astros manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow were banned for the entire 2020 season over the scandal and subsequently fired by the club.

No players however have faced punishment over the cheating furore, which has been compared to some of the most notorious scandals in baseball history, from the rigged World Series in 1919 to the steroid era of the 1990s.

Manfred told ESPN that the league had given serious consideration to stripping the Astros of their World Series.

"In the context of my original decision, (it was) something that we talked about and analysed extensively," Manfred said.

"A big topic of conversation between me and my senior staff. It has never happened in baseball. I am a believer in the idea that precedent happens and when you deviate from that, you have to have a very good reason.


- 'A futile act' -

"The report gave people a transparent account of what went on. We put people in position to make their own judgments about the behavior that went on. That certainly has happened over the last month."

Manfred said the exhaustive detail revealed by the MLB investigation into the scandal would mean that the Astros' achievements would remain under a cloud.

"The idea of an asterisk or asking for a piece of metal back seems like a futile act," Manfred said.

"People will always know that something was different about the 2017 season, and whether we made that decision right or wrong, we undertook a thorough investigation, and had the intestinal fortitude to share the results of that investigation, even when those results were not very pretty."

Manfred also added he believes Astros players, while not being directly sanctioned, have suffered by having to face questions about the scandal and admit their guilt during pre-season.

"I understand people's desire to have the players pay a price for what went on here," Manfred said. 

"I think if you watch the players, watch their faces when they have to deal with this issue publicly, they have paid a price."

Manfred meanwhile said the league planned to warn opposition pitchers from taking the law into their own hands when facing the Astros batters this season. 

Some MLB pitchers have hinted that the Astros players may be targeted with pitches aimed at the body this year as retribution for the scandal.

Manfred said a memo would be sent to teams warning them not to rough up the Astros.

"It is simply not appropriate to express whatever frustration you may have growing out of the Astros situation by putting someone physically at risk by throwing at them," Manfred said. "It's just not acceptable."

Agence France-Presse

MLB: Nationals beat Astros to win maiden World Series title

The Washington Nationals stunned the Houston Astros 6-2 in a winner-take-all Game Seven on Wednesday to secure their maiden Major League Baseball World Series title.

The Astros got a dominant outing from starting pitcher Zack Greinke and took a 2-0 lead into the seventh inning but that was where the visiting Nationals finally struck back, grabbing a lead they would not relinquish.

When the final out was recorded, Nationals players streamed onto the field from the dugout and bullpen, tossing their gloves into the air with arms raised in celebration while the orange-clad crowd inside Houston's Minute Maid Park watched in silence.

For the Nationals, who began playing in the U.S. capital in 2005 when the Montreal Expos moved there and changed their name, the win put the finishing touches to a stunning turnaround after they began the season with a miserable 19-31 record.

Anthony Rendon kicked off the Nationals rally in the seventh with a solo shot off Greinke, and Howie Kendrick came up with a go-ahead two-run blast off Astros reliever Will Harris two batters later.

The Nationals, who faced elimination five times during the postseason, added another run in the eighth and then put the game out of reach with a two-run ninth inning before closer Daniel Hudson retired the side.

The game marked the first time in any American professional sport where the road team went 7-0 in a best-of-seven games series. 

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Baseball: Strasburg shines as Nationals send World Series to Game 7

HOUSTON -- Stephen Strasburg overcame a bumpy opening frame to pitch 8 1/3 sterling innings, and Anthony Rendon drove in five runs as the Washington Nationals forced a decisive Game 7 of the World Series with a 7-2 victory over the Houston Astros on Tuesday.

Rendon finished 3-for-4, including a two-run homer in the seventh inning and a two-run double in the ninth.

The result extended a historic run for road teams, who have won each game of this Fall Classic, a first in postseason history for that specific feat.

The Nationals will send Game 1 starter and ace right-hander Max Scherzer to the mound Wednesday in the finale. He will be opposed by Astros right-hander Zack Greinke. Scherzer, a late scratch prior to Game 5 due to neck spasms, declared himself fit for Game 7 after throwing in the outfield on Tuesday afternoon.

Strasburg (2-0) allowed two runs and three hard-hit balls in the first inning, but he blanked the Astros for the remainder of his outing. He wound up yielding five hits and two walks with seven strikeouts.

After Strasburg retired the first batter in the ninth, Sean Doolittle entered and set down two of the next three hitters to even the series.

George Springer greeted Strasburg with a double off the left field scoreboard on the first pitch of the first. Following a wild pitch, the Astros erased a 1-0 deficit when Springer scored on a Jose Altuve sacrifice fly. One out later, Alex Bregman delivered a solo homer to left field, with Strasburg eluding additional damage when Juan Soto caught a 364-foot blast from Yuli Gurriel at the wall in left-center.

Astros right-hander Justin Verlander (0-2) allowed an opposite-field, run-scoring single to Rendon in the first. Excluding his perfect frame in the second, Verlander labored over his five-inning stint. He stranded two runners in the third inning and two more in the fourth but surrendered solo homers to Adam Eaton and Soto in the fifth, with Soto smacking a 413-foot blast to right for a 3-2 lead.

Verlander allowed three runs on five hits and three walks with a season-low three strikeouts and fell to 0-6 with a 5.68 ERA over seven career World Series starts.

Rendon rendered a controversial umpiring decision moot with his first homer of the series in the seventh. Trea Turner was ruled out on interference when he clipped Gurriel, who was stretching while making a play at first base. Two batters later, Rendon belted a two-run homer off Astros right-hander Will Harris, marking the first run Harris allowed following 10 scoreless appearances in this year's postseason.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

MLB: Astros rout Nationals to reach brink of World Series title

WASHINGTON -- Yordan Alvarez, Carlos Correa and George Springer each smacked two-run homers Sunday and the Houston Astros advanced to the brink of their second World Series title in three seasons by defeating the Washington Nationals 7-1.

Houston pitcher Gerrit Cole struck out nine and surrendered only one run on three hits over seven innings as the Astros seized a 3-2 lead in Major League Baseball's best-of-seven final.

Game six is set for Tuesday in Houston, where a seventh game would be played Wednesday if necessary.

The Astros can secure a second title in three seasons Tuesday when Justin Verlander takes the mound against Washington's Stephen Strasburg.

The Nationals must win twice in Texas, as they did in the first two games of the series, to capture the first title in the franchise's 50-year history.

It would also be the first crown for Washington since 1924, the US capital having gone 33 years without baseball after two clubs relocated.

The Astros could become only the third team in World Series history to lose the first two games at home and win the title, the first since the 1996 New York Yankees.

In sweeping three games at Washington, where no home team has won a World Series game since 1933, the Astros outscored the Nationals by a combined 19-3 after falling twice by a combined 17-7 in Houston.

Cole allowed five runs on eight hits over seven innings in a game-one loss but mystified Nationals batters Sunday, throwing 71 of his 110 pitches for strikes with only Juan Soto's solo homer in the seventh to spoil a masterclass performance.

The Nationals suffered a major setback hours before the start when scheduled starter Max Scherzer was pulled due to neck and trapezius muscle spasms, leaving 26-year-old right-hander Joe Ross to pitch on short notice.

Doctors say Scherzer might be available for Washington if the Nats can force a seventh game.

Alvarez, who went 3-for-3 at the plate, smashed a two-run homer into the centerfield stands off Ross in the second inning after Yuli Gurriel had hit an infield single.

Soto singled and took third on Howie Kendrick's single in the second but Cole struck out Ryan Zimmerman and induced a double play to end the threat.

Correa followed an Alvarez single in the fourth with a two-run homer off Ross to left field, lifting the Astros ahead 4-0.

Soto snapped a hitless streak of 5 1/3 innings for the Nationals by smashing a solo homer just over the centerfield wall in the seventh, trimming Houston's lead to 4-1.

But the Astros answered in the eighth as Springer doubled, took third on Jose Altuve's ground out and scored on a Gurriel single.

Springer blasted a two-run homer to left field in the ninth after a Martin Maldonado single to complete the scoring.

Astros relievers Joe Smith and Ryan Pressly allowed Washington only one hit after Cole's departure.

US President Donald Trump received a chorus of boos from the crowd of 43,910 when his image appeared on the stadium videoscreen just after the third inning.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Baseball: Astros rout Nationals in Game 4, level World Series 2-2

The Houston Astros opened the 2019 World Series with Gerrit Cole on the mound, followed by Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke. But the first starter to earn a victory in the quest for a championship was rookie Jose Urquidy.

What the right-hander lacked in star power, he made up in grit and creativity during Game 4 on Saturday, mixing his pitches well to keep the Washington Nationals off balance as the visiting Astros earned an 8-1 victory.

Urquidy, with just a handful of major league outings to his credit, eased the burden of a bullpen game, dominating over five scoreless innings in Game 4, leveling the series at 2-2 with Game 5 set for Sunday in Washington.

"(Urquidy) was working really hard there to mix it up," Astros second baseman Jose Altuve said on MLB Network after collecting his third consecutive multi-hit game in the series. "The fastball and changeup played really good today. I'm happy he threw five innings the way he did it, because obviously we needed that."

Robinson Chirinos hit a home run for the second consecutive game, and Alex Bregman hit a grand slam and drove in five runs as the Astros picked up their second straight victory after losing the first two. Bregman and Michael Brantley each had three hits.

A team meeting after the Astros lost the first two games of the series has done the club wonders.

"It was (a meeting) about bringing the guys back to what we have been doing all year," Chirinos said on MLB Network. "... It was about reminding the guys of what kind of team we are. It was a short meeting, it was a really good meeting, and I feel like it was a perfect time to do that meeting after the second loss."

The Astros planned on stringing together appearances from their relievers in Game 4, using the 24-year-old Urquidy to kick things off. Instead, the right-hander gave his team some length, allowing just two hits and no walks while striking out four. Five more relievers finished off the final four innings.

After four World Series games, no team has won at home. The last time the road team won the first four games of a World Series was in 1996, when the Atlanta Braves faced the New York Yankees, who won the final two games of the series.

The Astros' victory Saturday ensures the series will head back to Houston for a Game 6 on Tuesday. Game 7, if necessary, would be Wednesday in Houston.

After sitting at 19-31 on May 23 and coming all this way, the Nationals insist they won't fret about a losing two consecutive World Series games.

"We've been here pretty much all year," Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. "We have two of our big horses (Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg) going in the next two games. We haven't hit in the last couple of days, but I have confidence we'll bounce back. ... I just told the boys, ‘Hey, we're in the World Series, about to play Game 5 tied 2-2. Who would have thought that in the beginning?'"

Bregman drove in his first run of the game in the first inning on a single to center field, Houston's third straight single. Yuli Gurriel made it four in a row with an infield single for a 2-0 lead. Chirinos hit a two-run home run to left off Nationals left-hander Patrick Corbin for a 4-0 lead in the fourth.

Corbin (1-3 this postseason) gave up four runs on seven hits over six innings, with two walks and five strikeouts. Nationals starters have gone at least five innings in each of the team's 14 postseason games.

Juan Soto put the Nationals on the scoreboard in the sixth inning with a run-scoring groundout before Bregman crushed his grand slam to left field in the seventh off right-hander Fernando Rodney.

Urquidy (1-0), the third Mexican-born pitcher ever to start a World Series game, had just nine career appearances and two victories before the playoffs started. His five innings Saturday were more than the 4 1/3 innings he pitched in his two previous playoff appearances combined.

Urquidy's 15 outs and 67 pitches in Game 4 were key after the Astros needed 4 1/3 innings from five relievers in their Game 3 victory.

"What a day to bring his best," said Chirinos, who caught Urquidy's first major league outing on July 2. "I feel like tonight was the best I have seen him since he got called up to the big leagues."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Baseball: Nationals stun Astros in World Series opener

HOUSTON -- Juan Soto recorded a three-hit, three-RBI game in his World Series debut as the Washington Nationals rallied for a 5-4 victory over the Houston Astros in Game 1 of the Fall Classic on Tuesday.

Soto drilled an opposite-field, game-tying home run leading off the fourth inning. He delivered a two-run double, also to the opposite field, an inning later to cap the Nationals' three-run uprising off Astros ace Gerrit Cole (0-1).

At 20 years, 362 days old, Soto became the fourth-youngest player to homer in a World Series game, trailing only Andruw Jones (19 years, 180 days in 1996), Miguel Cabrera (20 years, 187 days in 2003) and Mickey Mantle (20 years, 352 days in 1952).

Nationals starter Max Scherzer (1-0) survived five laborious innings and departed with a 5-2 lead.

Soto pulled the Nationals even at 2-all with his 417-foot blast onto the train tracks above left-center field. Cole, 19-0 with a 1.59 ERA over his previous 25 starts, had already surrendered a solo homer to Ryan Zimmerman with two outs in the second inning. By the time Soto strolled to the plate in the fifth, the Nationals had secured a 3-2 lead.

Two batters after Adam Eaton produced a run-scoring single to right, Soto lined a 3-2 slider from Cole off the scoreboard in left. Victor Robles and Anthony Rendon scored on the play, with Rendon coming home from first base after the ball caromed past left fielder Michael Brantley.

Scherzer responded by retiring the side in order for the first time in the bottom of the fifth. He'd allowed a two-run, two-out, two-strike double to Yuli Gurriel in the first inning after holding batters to an 0-for-17 mark with runners in scoring position this postseason.

Scherzer capped his night having allowed just two runs on five hits and three walks with seven strikeouts.

An inability to deliver with runners in scoring position plagued the Astros throughout. George Springer singlehandedly attempted to carry Houston back to the lead, with his leadoff homer in the seventh against Nationals right-hander Tanner Rainey cutting the deficit to 5-3 before his RBI double an inning later sliced the margin to one run.

However, Nationals left-hander Sean Doolittle entered and retired Brantley to strand Springer on second, then retired the side in order in the ninth to earn the save. Houston finished 3-for-12 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 baserunners.

Cole wound up allowing five runs on eight hits and a walk with six strikeouts in seven innings.

Washington will look to head home with a 2-0 series lead when Stephen Strasburg takes the mound opposite Justin Verlander in Game 2 on Wednesday.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

MLB: Astros seek World Series dynasty as Nats hunt fairytale title

WASHINGTON -- An upstart Washington Nationals squad will try to end the US capital's 95-year Major League Baseball title drought when the 115th World Series opens Tuesday against the Houston Astros.

Two impressive sets of starting pitchers are the feature attraction as the Nationals, who overcame a 19-31 start to reach their first World Series, meet an Astros club trying for a second title in three seasons. No team has done better since the New York Yankees won three in a row from 1998-2000.

"We want to be able to be a dynasty," Astros shortstop Carlos Correa said. "To do that we have to win, win, win. We have to go out there and keep doing that."

The Nationals had not won a playoff series since 1981, when they were the Montreal Expos. But since relocating from Canada in 2005, they had lost four times in the division series before finally breaking through. 

"All the things in the past, all the failures, and losing in the first round, it just makes it sweet," said Nationals second baseman Howie Kendrick, the National League Championship Series Most Valuable Player.

"To see a team like us continue to grind, I think the mixture of people that we do have is what makes us so good. I wouldn't change anything about the past because this is just unbelievable."

The best-of-seven showdown will start in Houston then move to Washington for game three on Friday, the first World Series game in the US capital since 1933, when the Senators lost to the New York Giants.

"This right here, to me, tops everything I've ever been through," Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. "I'm so proud of the guys. They could have folded. They didn't. It means a lot to all of us."

Washington's original Senators became the Minnesota Twins after the 1960 season while a replacement expansion club relocated to become the Texas Rangers in 1972.

- Cole comfort for Astros -

Houston Astros star pitchers Gerrit Cole, Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke will be tested against Washington's starting rotation of Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and Patrick Corbin.

"I'm thrilled," Cole said. "We're going to have some great pitching matchups. They have a lot of talent. They are going to be a really tough opponent. It's going to be a fun series for sure."

Houston game one starter Cole, 3-0 in the playoffs with a 0.40 earned-run average (ERA), is 19-0 in his past 25 starts with a 1.59 ERA and 258 strikeouts over 169 1/3 innings. He went 20-5 this season and led the major leagues with 326 strikeouts. The Astros have won his past 16 starts.

Washington ace Scherzer is 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in playoffs, allowing one run on five hits and five walks with 18 strikeouts over 14 innings. He lost his only prior World Series start in 2012 with Detroit. Scherzer went 11-7 with a 2.92 ERA this season with a major-league best ratio of 7.364 strikeouts per walk issued.

Houston's hitters will be ready for the challenge, including clean-up batter Alex Bregman and star second baseman Jose Altuve, the American League Championship Series MVP.

"We're always feeding off each other, helping each other," Altuve said. "That's why we're going to the World Series."

- 'Made our own luck' -

The teams did not meet in the regular season.

The Astros boast a deeper bullpen of relief pitchers than Washington but the Nationals have Houston native Anthony Rendon, who has a hit in eight consecutive playoff games, as third baseman.

"You've got to catch some breaks," said Nationals slugger Ryan Zimmerman. "In the years past, maybe we didn't catch those breaks. We caught some breaks this year, but more importantly, we took advantage of those breaks. So kind of made our own luck."

The Astros defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2017 World Series but lost to eventual World Series winner Boston in last year's American League Championship series.

"We hung a banner two years ago. We want to hang another one," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "Winning drives this team. It's really all that drives us. The players do an unbelievable job of pushing one another.

"Last year we got (close to) the World Series and that was deemed a disappointment. And that pisses off major league players. And so we came back this year and got back to the World Series and we're going to try to tack onto the resumes of a lot of these guys."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Baseball: Red Sox KO Astros to reach World Series

J.D. Martinez and Rafael Devers clubbed home runs, David Price twirled six scoreless innings, and the Boston Red Sox eliminated the defending champion Houston Astros with a 4-1 victory in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series on Thursday.

The Red Sox claimed the final four games of the series by punishing the Astros' stellar pitching with an endless string of quality plate appearances. 

They bested Astros ace Justin Verlander (1-1) to secure their first AL pennant in five years, setting a date opposite either the Los Angeles Dodgers or Milwaukee Brewers in the World Series starting next Tuesday in Boston.

Much to the Astros' frustration, another disputed call worked against them.

In Game 4, Jose Altuve had a two-run home run negated by a dubious fan interference ruling. 

With one out in the third inning of the series finale, Verlander appeared to throw a strike on an 0-2 pitch to Martinez, but plate umpire Chris Guccione believed otherwise. 

Martinez belted the next pitch 396 feet out to left field for a 1-0 Red Sox lead.

That blast snapped a 26-inning scoreless streak for Verlander in elimination games and gave Price the cushion he needed to find his rhythm.

Price (1-0) worked around a two-out single by Altuve in the first inning and a leadoff single by Yuli Gurriel in the second. 

He retired eight consecutive batters after Gurriel reached safely before Gurriel won a nine-pitch confrontation via a two-out double in the bottom of the fourth.

Price recovered to strike out Marwin Gonzalez with a 2-2 changeup before retiring the Astros in order in the fifth and sixth. He surrendered three hits, did not walk a batter, and recorded nine strikeouts.

Price had been 0-9 with a 6.16 ERA over 11 career postseason starts. For one night, he rendered that ugly personal history moot by getting 15 swinging strikes, 12 on his changeup.

Verlander wasn't quite as sharp with his secondary offerings, earning just one swing and miss on 19 curveballs, with one of the four put in play clearing the fence on the Martinez dinger. 

Still, Verlander kept the Astros in contention until falling apart in the sixth, allowing a leadoff double to Mitch Moreland and a single to Ian Kinsler before Devers pounced on a first-pitch fastball.

Devers, six days shy of his 22nd birthday, drilled the pitch into the Crawford Boxes in left, extending the Boston lead to 4-0.

Verlander had been 4-1 with a 1.21 ERA in elimination games with the Astros and Detroit Tigers, but he departed after six innings with seven hits, two walks, and four runs on his ledger. Verlander recorded only four strikeouts over 97 pitches.

Gonzalez homered off Red Sox reliever Matt Barnes in the seventh inning before Game 3 winner Nathan Eovaldi emerged from the bullpen to stifle that rally. 

Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel worked the ninth inning, earning his fifth save of the postseason and third of the ALCS.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Hot-hitting Springer MVP of Astros' World Series win

LOS ANGELES -- George Springer hammered his way to the World Series Most Valuable Player award, belting a record-equalling five home runs to fuel the Houston Astros' seven-game win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"The wildness of this series, the wackiness of this series, the emotional ups and downs, being able to play in this is something that I will never, ever forget, even if this is the only time I will ever get here," Springer said Wednesday, after smacking a two-run homer in the Astros' decisive 5-1 triumph over the Dodgers.

The 28-year-old center fielder looked an unlikely World Series hero after hitting just .115 in the Astros' seven-game victory over the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series.

   
He struck out four times in game one against the Dodgers, and Astros manager A.J. Hinch found himself defending his decision to keep Springer at the top of his lineup.

Hinch's faith was amply rewarded as Springer smashed the two-run home run in the 11th inning that won game two for the Astros.

Springer homered again in Houston's game four defeat and in game five he atoned for a defensive miscue that saw the Dodgers take an 8-7 lead with a solo homer that tied a game the Astros would go on to win 13-12.

"I went from the lowest low to the highest high," he said of that one. "That was the craziest home run I've ever hit."

Springer's homer in game six accounted for Houston's only run in a 3-1 defeat.

And, finally, his two-run blast on Wednesday made him the first player ever to homer in four straight World Series Games.

His five home runs in the series tied the record set by New York Yankees great Reggie Jackson and later matched by Chase Utley for the Philadelphia Phillies.

"I don't know if there's a cloud higher than nine, but I'm on it," said Springer, whose 29 total bases in a World Series are a record.

"When he got going, it gets pretty scary, he can do a ton of damage," Hinch said.

Springer, for his part, was grateful for Hinch's faith.

"I will run through a wall for that guy any day," he said.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Astros beat Dodgers for maiden World Series title

LOS ANGELES -  The Houston Astros won the World Series on Wednesday on the back of a two-run home run by George Springer that busted the game open and lifted the team to a 5-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game Seven.

The Astros clinched the best-of-seven series 4-3 for the first franchise title in a 55-year existence, and did so against a Dodgers team that had Major League Baseball's best regular season record.

The Astros jumped on Dodgers starting pitcher Yu Darvish early, scoring all five runs in the first two innings before riding a long string of relief pitchers to the win at Dodger Stadium.

"I think this is the happiest moment of my life in baseball," Astros second baseman Jose Altuve said on the field after the final out.

"We did this for them," he said of the fans in Houston, who are still recovering from the deadly Hurricane Harvey in August.

"There has been a lot going on in Houston the last year (and) they are the biggest reason why we are here."

   
Astros manager A.J. Hinch said the team was proud of the part it played in lifting the spirits of the city.

"This team loves playing in Houston and we're going to love bringing this World Series trophy back to Houston," he said.

The signs for the Dodgers were ominous early as World Series most valuable player Springer got the Astros off to an excellent start when he laced a leadoff double to left field corner and later scored the game's first run on a throwing error by Dodgers first baseman Cody Bellinger.

Alex Bregman scored on a ground ball hit by Altuve that gave the Astros a 2-0 lead before the Dodgers had even came up to bat.

Darvish issued a leadoff walk to Astros catcher Brian McCann to start the second inning and scored on a soft ground ball by pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. to make it 3-0.

Springer stepped to the plate with one on and two out in the inning and blasted his fifth home run of the World Series for a 5-0 advantage, chasing Darvish, who ended an ignominious World Series after a similarly disastrous start in Game Three.

"My approach was to get something out over the plate, get something I could drive," Springer said of his two-run shot.

"And I just remember swinging and hearing the sound of the bat, and I knew it was a good sound."

Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw took the mound in the third inning and threw four scoreless innings to keep his team in the game but the Los Angeles offense failed to convert hits into runs.

The National League champions were unable to capitalize on their many opportunities, stranding 10 baserunners.

The Dodgers scored their lone run in the sixth inning when pinch hitter Andre Ethier hit a ground ball that found a hole on the right side to score Joc Pederson.

"It hurts, it's suppose to hurt but there is nothing to regret when you leave all out there," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters.

"It was a long season and we stayed together, fought until the end and we came up a little short but there is nothing for us to hang our heads about," he said.

"The Astros are a great team and you have to tip your hat because they earned it."

(Reporting by Rory Carroll; Editing by Andrew Both)

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World Series: Dodgers battle back to defeat Astros and force Game 7

LOS ANGELES --  Corey Seager's sixth inning sacrifice fly helped the Los Angeles Dodgers eke out a come-from-behind 3-1 Game 6 victory over the Houston Astros on Tuesday to force a World Series decider.

Seager's deep fly ball to right field allowed Chase Utley to scamper home for the go-ahead run, igniting the sold-out crowd of 54,128 as the Dodgers tied the series up at 3-3 to set up Wednesday's winner-take-all showdown.

Dodgers center fielder Chris Taylor continued his clutch hitting in the post-season, tying the game 1-1 earlier in the inning with a double down the right field line off of losing pitcher Justin Verlander.

"I was just trying to put a ball in play," Taylor said.

"He's really tough with that fastball up in the zone and a good slider. I was just trying to get the barrel on the ball and hope for something good and it worked out for me," he said.

Taylor has reached base safely 26 times this post-season, a franchise record.

Dodgers slugger Joc Pederson hit a solo 373-foot blast in the bottom of the seventh to provide the National League champions with an insurance run, and reliever Kenley Jansen came in during the eighth inning for a drama-free six-out save.

The loss was the first of the post-season for the hard-throwing Verlander, who had a no decision in Game 2.

   
Dodgers starter Rich Hill was sharp but gave up a solo home run to center fielder George Springer in the third inning for a 1-0 Astros lead and was pulled with two outs in the fourth.

Dodgers reliever Tony Watson, who came into the game in the top of the sixth inning and escaped a two on-two out jam, was the winning pitcher.

The defensive play of the game came in the top of the seventh when the Astros had runners on first and third with two outs, and second baseman Jose Altuve hit a soft ground ball to Justin Turner.

The third baseman charged to pick up the ball and make a quick throw to first baseman Cody Bellinger, who took it on the hop to get the speedy Altuve and keep the Dodgers 2-1 in front.

Game 7 will pit the Dodgers' Japanese right-hander Yu Darvish against Astros curve-ball specialist Lance McCullers Jr.

Darvish had a nightmare start in Game 3 in Houston, where he could not get out of the second inning in the shortest start in his major league career.

McCullers had a solid outing for the first five innings of the same game before losing his accuracy in the sixth inning.

Wednesday's game will be the first-ever World Series Game 7 played at Dodger Stadium and will either see the hosts win a first title since 1988 or the American League champion Astros bag a first-ever crown in their 55-year history.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Astros' Verlander eager for shot at World Series title

HOUSTON - The Houston Astros acquired Justin Verlander in the hopes that he would be the final piece to their World Series puzzle and now the veteran right-hander will get a chance to lead his team to a maiden championship.

Houston lead the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 in the best-of-seven World Series and will just happen to have the postseason's hottest pitcher on the mound when the Fall Classic resumes on the West Coast on Tuesday.

"These are what it's all about," said Verlander. "These are the moments that you want to be a part of as a baseball player. It's everything you could ask for."

Verlander, who has yet to win a World Series, has already exceeded expectations when the Astros acquired him a mere minutes before the trade deadline at the end of August.

The 34-year-old former ace of the Detroit Tigers staff has started nine games for the Astros over the last two months and won them all. He even pitched once in relief, and Houston won that one, too.

Astros manager A.J. Hinch, when asked if Verlander fits into his description of a "big-game pitcher", said the co-ace of his staff fits into a lot of categories given an ability to block out distractions and execute pitches no matter the stage.

"I like more calling these guys big-time pitchers before the game, because that's what we expect. We expect them to prepare the same. We expect them to show up ready to play. We expect them to produce the executed pitches," said Hinch.

"When you can do that on this kind of stage you're called a big-time pitcher regardless of your performance. But oftentimes these guys step up and deliver big-time results, too."

Verlander is one of just three active players on the Astros and Dodgers rosters with previous World Series experience. He reached the Fall Classic twice with Detroit in 2006 and 2012 but did not pitch particularly well either time.

But the six-time All-Star and former Cy Young Award winner as the American League's best pitcher has since seemingly always managed to find another gear in pressure-packed situations.

Verlander did just that in the American League Championship Series when, with the Astros facing elimination, he stepped up to the challenge by pitching seven shutout innings in a 7-1 victory that forced a decisive seventh game.

He attributes part of his success to being able to manage his intensity level during the regular season when the stakes are not as high and therefore allowing him to find another gear come the postseason.

"You can't focus that much mental energy and physical drain on hanging on every single pitch that way and the crowd and the intensity, that it all encompasses, you just can't do that every single day out for 34, 35 starts," said Verlander.

"But as soon as the postseason starts you're living or dying on every single pitch, and your whole team is living or dying on every single pitch. It changes everything."

(Reporting by Frank Pingue; Editing by Amlan Chakraborty)

source: news.abs-cbn.com