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

MLB: Dodgers defeat Padres, Astros put A's on brink of elimination

LOS ANGELES -- Corey Seager scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly as the Los Angeles Dodgers erupted for four runs in the sixth inning en route to a 5-1 come-from-behind win over the San Diego Padres in the opening game of their NL Division Series on Tuesday.

Justin Turner scored two runs and walked twice, and starting pitcher Walker Buehler pitched four solid innings and struck out eight for the Dodgers, who recorded their fifth straight NLDS game one victory.

Closer Kenley Jansen got the final out of the four-hour marathon contest by forcing Padres batter Jake Croenworth to ground out to first base at the neutral Globe Life Field stadium outside Dallas, Texas.

The Dodgers were hitless through the first five innings and drew a total of 10 walks in the contest including three to catcher Will Smith.

After falling behind 1-0 in the fourth, Los Angeles did not get their first hit until Mookie Betts smacked a one-out double early in the sixth which helped open the flood gates with a combination of singles, doubles, walks and errors on the part of the Padres.

"It's not about getting a bunch of hits, it's about taking our walks and setting the table," said right fielder Betts.

Game two is Wednesday when the Dodgers will start left hander Clayton Kershaw.

"It is good to get game one under our belt," said Betts. "It is a lot better feeling getting a win in game one and knowing we got Kershew up next."

The Padres didn't announce their game one starter until Tuesday, deciding to go with ace Mike Clevinger who was pitching for the first time in 13 days.

Clevinger's status had been a mystery due to an elbow problem. He hasn't pitched since leaving a start against the Los Angeles Angels after one inning on September 23.

Clevinger missed the Padres' first-round series triumph against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Clevinger worked a scoreless first against the Dodgers but had to exit early, making just two pitches in the second before being pulled by manager Jayce Tingler. Clevinger finished with three walks and one strikeout.

"He's getting checked out," Tingler said. "His stuff was right where it usually is. We've got our fingers crossed and hoping for the best of news." 

- 'We're expecting good things' -

Elsewhere, George Springer hammered two home runs and Framber Valdez won the battle of the lefties as the Houston Astros moved to within one win of reaching their fourth straight AL Championship Series with a 5-2 win over the Oakland A's.

Left-handed starter Valdez gave up two runs on five hits over seven innings and fanned four batters for the Astros, who will try to sweep the best of five series on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

"With every victory, the energy and the confidence grows," Houston manager Dusty Baker said. "We're expecting good things to happen."

Houston grabbed a 4-2 lead in the fifth inning on Martin Maldonado's home run that knocked Oakland lefty Sean Manaea from the contest. Springer then smacked the first pitch from Oakland relief pitcher Yusmeiro Petit over the left field wall.

Manaea surrendered four runs on five hits over 4 1/3 innings with one walk and two strikeouts.

The Astros belted three homers Tuesday, one day after hitting three in a game one victory at the same southern California ballpark.

Elsewhere, Tyler Glasnow and three other pitchers combined for 18 strikeouts and the batting order erupted for four homers as the Tampa Bay Rays rebounded from a game one loss to beat the New York Yankees 7-5.

Rays right-hander Glasnow struck out a franchise playoff-record 10 batters in five-plus innings. He gave up four runs and three hits while walking three as the Ray leveled the series at 1-1.

Randy Arozarena slugged a homer for the second straight game, Mike Zunino and Manuel Margot drilled two run shots, and Austin Meadows hit a solo home run for the Rays, who equaled a club playoff record with four long balls.

Game three is Wednesday night at Petco Park in San Diego. 

New York star Giancarlo Stanton homered in his fourth consecutive playoff game, including a towering 460-foot, three-run drive that cleared the upper deck in the fourth inning.

Stanton's four straight homers tie for the third-longest streak in a single postseason. He now trails only Daniel Murphy, six in 2015, and Carlos Beltran, five in 2004.

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

Baseball: Red Sox haven't decided on White House visit, manager says

If the World Series champion Boston Red Sox decide to visit the White House, manager Alex Cora said Thursday that he and his players will respect and honor that decision.

Cora, a native of Puerto Rico, has been critical in the past of President Donald Trump's comments and actions in the wake of Hurricane Maria's devastation of the island in 2017.

That led to speculation that Cora and the Red Sox might refuse an invitation from the White House, following the footsteps of the NBA champion Golden State Warriors and Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.

Addressing reporters Thursday at Fenway Park, Cora said he respects the president and will abide by whatever decision the team makes.

"We'll talk about it and whatever we decide will be respected," he said. "Looking at this team, we have guys from the U.S. and from the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Puerto Rico. I'll use the platform the right way.

"I know the headlines don't show it, but I said I respect the president and I know that he helped our country. Whenever we have to make that decision we'll make it, and it will be respectful."

The Red Sox defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 on Sunday to win their fourth World Series championship since 2004.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Red Sox celebrate World Series triumph with parade

Boston Red Sox players and supporters celebrated the Major League Baseball team's victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series with a victory parade Wednesday along city streets.

A day-long celebration of the Red Sox's fourth championship in the past 15 seasons -- after having not won the crown since 1918 until the recent run -- began with a rally inside Fenway Park, the oldest major league stadium built in 1912.

Players rode on duck boats, Boston's famed vehicles that serve as cars or boats, and displayed the championship trophy as they rode down the city streets, fans cheering and singing with delight.

"It's a dream come true for me and I'm so thankful to be here right now," said Boston's Steve Pearce, the World Series Most Valuable Player. "It still feels so weird to hear that, World Series MVP."

Pearce recalled pitcher Chris Sale and manager Alex Cora gathering the team together when they faced adversity to help revive their momentum on the path to the crown, beating the Dodgers four games to one in the best-of-seven World Series despite losing the longest game in Series history after 18 innings.

"When our backs were against the wall, we banded together and we got it done," Pearce said. "We figured it out and everything suddenly got going for us. Everybody responded.

"It was what we needed. We came out the next day and responded. That's what it was all about."

Signs in the crowd along the streets and in the ballpark included "LA: Lost Again" and "Alexa, Play New York, New York," the theme song of the arch-rival Yankees, whom the Red Sox vanquished in their first playoff series despite a home loss in game two of the best-of-five matchup.

"We lost game two to the Yankees. Everybody here was so scared," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. "Then we scored 16 at Yankee Stadium. Suck on it."


Price staying in Boston


The Red Sox received good news for next year's title defense as they seek back-to-back crowns for the first time since 1915 and 1916 as pitcher David Price said he will remain with the club for the final four seasons of his contract, refusing an opt-out clause he had through Wednesday in his seven-year, $217 million deal.

"Yeah, I'm opting in. I'm not going anywhere," Price said. "I want to win here. We did that this year, and I want to do it again. There wasn't any reconsideration on my part ever. I came here to win. We did that this year and that was very special. Now we want to do it again."

Price went winless in his first 11 career playoff starts, then pitched the Red Sox to victory in the clinching game over Houston in the American League Championship Series and starred in games two and five of the World Series.

"He should have been the co-MVP of the World Series," Red Sox owner John Henry said. "I can't imagine we would have wound up winning without David Price this year."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Baseball: Boston beats LA Dodgers to win World Series

LOS ANGELES -- Steve Pearce slammed a pair of home runs and David Price tossed a seven-inning gem to power the Boston Red Sox to a 5-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers and their fourth World Series title in 15 years on Sunday.

The Red Sox, after winning a franchise-record and Major League Baseball-best 108 games during the regular season, carried their domination all the way to the World Series and overwhelmed the Dodgers, 4-1, in the best-of-seven series.

The Red Sox clinched their ninth World Series title with a lethal combination of power and pitching.

Game 5 starter Price surrendered one run on three hits in seven plus innings to collect his third straight postseason win, while all the Red Sox runs were scored via home runs.

Pearce, who was named the World Series most valuable player, gave Boston a 2-0 lead they would never relinquish with a two-run blast in the first and added a solo shot in the eighth. Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez hit solo home runs.

Price said winning the World Series was the whole reason he came to Boston.

"Seeing all these grown men over there just acting like little kids, that's what it's all about," he added. "To come out on top the way we did is unreal.

"This is why I came to Boston. I know it is a tough place to play and challenging with everything that was going to go on there.

"I've been through a lot the three years I've been there but this is why I came."

The Dodgers and their fans arrived at Chavez Ravine on Sunday knowing only 13 teams had clawed their way back from 3-1 deficits to win a best-of-seven postseason series.

The last to do it was the Chicago Cubs against the Cleveland Indians in 2016 as they claimed their first World Series crown in 108 years.

Backed into a corner and with their bullpen worn out, the Dodgers turned to three-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw, while the Red Sox countered with their Cy Young winner Price.

The chances of a Fall Classic pitchers duel seemed unlikely when both starters were clobbered for first-inning home runs.

After Andrew Binitendi singled, Pearce took the first pitch he saw from Kershaw and launched into the centre field bleachers for a 2-0 lead.

"Baseball is a funny game, great things can happen and I am very blessed to be here right now," said Pearce, who has played for every team in the American League East. "That's what our team is about we show up every single day.

"We knew we were going to be here the whole time and it is just a great feeling."

The Dodgers, who were beaten by the Houston Astros in last season's World Series, hit back right away when David Freese crushed a leadoff homer to get Los Angeles on the scoreboard.

The first-inning fireworks gave way to the pitching battle many had predicted with Price and Kershaw settling down and tossing four shutout innings.

Boston seized control in the sixth when Betts, in an 0-13 slump at the plate, smashed a solo shot while Martinez connected for a leadoff homer in the seventh.

Kershaw, who has never lived up to his Cy Young credentials in the postseason, endured another rough outing and gave up four runs on seven hits in seven innings of work.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Baseball: Boston's Pearce goes from castoff to World Series MVP

LOS ANGELES -- Steve Pearce completed a remarkable journey from a Major League Baseball castoff to the top of the baseball world on Sunday as the Boston Red Sox first baseman was named the Most Valuable Player of the World Series.

The 35-year-old veteran slugger, who the Toronto Blue Jays shipped to Boston for next to nothing in June, had three home runs and eight RBI during the best-of-seven championship, which the Red Sox won, 4-1, over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"You know, baseball is a funny game. You never know where the game will take you," Pearce told reporters. "And I've gone through a lot in my life or in my career to be here, and I couldn't be more thankful."

Pearce has played for seven teams during a his 12-year MLB career and his trade to the American League East's Red Sox made him only the sixth player to play for each team in one division.

And while Pearce is known around MLB circles as a journeyman, he has never been dismayed by the unflattering identifier and simply saved the best baseball of his career for the game's biggest stage.

Pearce hit a game-tying homer in the eighth inning of Saturday's Game 4 followed by a three-run double in the ninth to help the Red Sox emphatically rally to a victory that left them one win away from their fourth title in 15 years.

The hard-hitting first baseman returned on Sunday and hit a two-run home run in the first inning to put the visitors ahead, 2-0, and then launched a solo shot in the eighth inning that gave Boston a 5-1 lead for the final score.

"This has been a lifelong journey. And to be here right now is a dream come true," said Pearce.

"Best feeling in my life. This is what you grow up wishing that you could be a part of something like this. With that special group of guys out there, to celebrate with them, that was awesome."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

World Series: Dodgers' marathon win over Red Sox smashes records

It took 18 innings -- seven hours and 20 minutes -- for the Los Angeles Dodgers to claw their way back into the 2018 World Series with a 3-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox.

The teams combined to use 46 players, 27 position players and 19 pitchers -- if you count Dodgers' ace Clayton Kershaw's pinch-hit at-bat.

Max Muncy brought the proceedings to a close with a walkoff home run off Red Sox reliever Nathan Eovaldi, who came on in the 12th inning and threw 97 pitches -- compared to the 61 of Red Sox starter Rick Porcello.

In the immediate aftermath, Red Sox manager Alex Cora couldn't say who he'd be sending to the mound in game four on Saturday, when he'd planned to have Eovaldi as his starter.

"How do you spell that, "TBA"? TBA," Cora quipped.

The game surpassed the San Francisco Giants' six-hour, 23-minute victory over the Washington Nationals in the 2014 National League Division Series as the longest in Major League post-season history.

The longest prior World Series game was five hours and 41 minutes -- the Chicago White Sox's 14-inning win over the Houston Astros in game three in 2005.

"To be honest, as the game kept going, you look up and see the 18th inning and you're like, holy cow, where did the game go?

"Those last nine innings or so just kind of blended together."

By the end of the contest -- at 12:30 a.m. Saturday -- the record-setting exploits of the Dodgers' starting pitcher Walker Buehler were a fading memory.

The 24-year-old rookie right-hander needed 26 pitches to retire the first three batters he faced -- the most thrown in a 1-2-3 inning in post-season history.

He became the youngest Dodgers pitcher to throw six or more scoreless innings in a World Series game since Johnny Podres in 1955.

The rookie right-hander joined Roger Clemens (game two, 2000) and Don Larsen (game five, 1956) as the only pitchers to throw seven or more scoreless innings while allowing two or fewer hits in a World Series game.

Buehler threw 108 pitches, 72 of them for strikes. He struck out seven and walked one, retiring his last 14 batters after surrendering two hits in the third inning.

And Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who was able to keep game four starter Rich Hill in reserve along with Ryu Hyun-Jin, thought his pitching staff was in good shape heading into Saturday.

"Considering what we went through tonight, we're in good shape with our pen, we really are," Roberts said. "Obviously Rich is going to have to come out there and get some outs.

"Considering where we're at, down 2-1, home crowd behind us, I think there's a little bit of momentum on our side."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

World Series: Heat turned up as chilled Dodgers return home

After two chilled losses at Fenway Park, the Los Angeles Dodgers returned home on Thursday feeling the heat trailing the best-of-seven World Series 2-0 to the Boston Red Sox and in need of a spark.

While the Los Angeles weather for Game Three on Friday will be more to the Dodgers liking, the back-to-back losses in Boston will have sent a shiver through fans who will be well aware of the uphill climb now facing their team.

Only 13 times have teams lost the opening two games of any best-of-seven Major League Baseball postseason series and rallied to erase the deficit.

"We've got to find a way to win a baseball game," said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. "Obviously we come out of here (Boston) going home down 2-0.

"We're not swinging the bats well right now. That's obvious. But I think getting home ... I think we'll be ready for Game Three."

Boston with its mid-7 Celsius game time temperatures and Fenway Park with its quirky dimensions and features proved an inhospitable place for the Dodgers.

But with the next three games at the spacious Chavez Ravine where temperatures will hover around 27C, the Dodgers are focused at the task in front of them -- winning Game Three and taking the first step towards sending the series back to Boston.

"I think the big takeaway is you can't win four games in one night," said Roberts. "So just the focus-on-one-game-at-a-time mentality.

"I know it's easier said than done. But that's as simply as you can put it, and that's the best way to go about it."

The odds and history may be against the Dodgers but they are not without hope.

Dodgers teams have dug themselves out of 0-2 holes three times, including in the 1955 World Series when the then Brooklyn Dodgers became the first team to overturn an 0-2 deficit to beat their bitter rivals the New York Yankees.

The Dodgers also accomplished the feat in the 1965 and 1981 World Series coming back after losing the opening two games on the road.

Pressure is not an unknown quantity for the Dodgers, who took the World Series to a Game Seven last year before losing to the Houston Astros and while the situation is critical, it is not yet do-or-die, as Roberts pointed out.

"Understanding and appreciating that it's the World Series, it's still not a do-or-die like Game Seven, it was a do-or-die situation," said Roberts.

"So I know that even just getting back home feels different.

"It's going to be exciting tomorrow. The key is we've still got to go out there and play a good baseball game." (Reporting by Steve Keating in Toronto. Editing by Greg Stutchbury)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Red Sox dump Dodgers to take control of World Series

BOSTON -- David Price and three relievers pitched 5 1/3 perfect final innings and J.D. Martinez singled in the deciding runs Wednesday as Boston defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2 to seize command of the World Series.

The Red Sox grabbed a 2-0 edge in Major League Baseball's best-of-seven final, which shifts to California for game three Friday with Boston a perfect 5-0 in road playoff games.

"We're playing good baseball," Price said. "We've got to keep it going."

Price, a 33-year-old US left-hander, baffled Dodgers batters much of the night with five strikeouts and three walks over six innings, surrendering his only two runs and three hits in the fourth.

"I take a lot of pride of being able to evolve from pitch to pitch, being able to adjust, and I did that really well," Price said.

"I made a lot of good pitches that inning. They hit some. That was a tough inning, it could have spun out of control pretty fast. Being able to stop it at two right there, that was big for us."

Designated hitter Martinez, with the season's second-best major league batting average, hit a bases-loaded single to right in the fifth to plate the winning runs -- three hits and two walks coming with two outs.

"That was a perfect example of grinding at-bats out, getting guys on and finding ways to score," Martinez said.

Price was then followed by Boston relievers Joe Kelly, Nathan Eovaldi and Craig Kimbrel in retiring the final 16 Dodgers batters over the last 5 1/3 innings to secure the Red Sox 100th all-time playoff victory on a cold and windy night at Fenway Park.

"We pitched extremely well. David was amazing. And then the bullpen did what they've been doing," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. "David is a huge part of what we're trying to accomplish. Without him going six, it was going to be tough."

A long way to go'

Price, who lost his first 11 career playoff starts before beating Houston last week in the American League finals, threw 58 of his 88 pitches for strikes.

"Give credit to Price. He made pitches when he needed to. We had him on the ropes. We stressed him," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "The difference is they got the big hit when they needed it and we didn't."

Eovaldi's stint as a reliever likely means Boston right-handed pitcher Rick Porcello will start game three against Dodgers' rookie righty Walker Buehler at Dodger Stadium on Friday as Los Angeles tries to win its first World Series since 1988.

"We've got to find a way to win a game," Roberts said. "We're not swinging the bats well right now. That's obvious. But getting home, I think we'll be ready for game three."

Roberts will insert left-handed batters in the lineup that he removed for games against lefty pitchers in Boston.

"We're going to shuffle it up," said Roberts. "When guys are in there they've just got to be productive. We've got a lot of good players and we've got a long way to go."

In World Series history, 43 of 54 teams with a 2-0 lead, just under 80 percent, have won the crown, doing so in each of the past 10 opportunities.

The Red Sox, seeking their ninth title and fourth in 15 seasons, improved to 9-0 in the playoffs when scoring first. They led the major leagues this year at 74-15 when scoring first.

Ryu takes the loss

Dodgers left-hander Ryu Hyun-jin became the first South Korean starter in a World Series but took the loss.

Boston opened the scoring in the second inning when Xander Bogaerts doubled and scored on Ian Kinsler's single.

The Dodgers struck in the fourth on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Matt Kemp and a Yasiel Puig run-scoring single up the middle to give the Dodgers their only lead at 2-1.

That set the stage for Christian Vazquez and Mookie Betts singles and an Andrew Benintendi walk to load the bases. Reliever Ryan Madson replaced Ryu but walked Steve Pearce to force in the tying run, then surrendered the decisive single by Martinez.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Dodgers seek first World Series crown since '88 against Red Sox

BOSTON -- A classic showdown between two of Major League Baseball's oldest clubs opens Tuesday when the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers meet to open the 114th World Series.

Boston will try to cap a team-record 108-win season with a championship trophy and capture a fourth in 15 seasons and ninth overall starting Tuesday at historic Fenway Park.

"It's huge to be able to continue the trend of winning," Boston outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr, said. "You want to be part of something great. Obviously we want to win it all. And we've got to win four more."

The Dodgers chase their first crown in 30 years and seventh overall after losing to Houston in last year's World Series, one win shy of a title.

"We've got a tough series against the Red Sox coming up," said Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger. "We know how hard it is to make the World Series. To do it two years in a row is really special."

Red Sox star left-hander Chris Sale will pitch the opener despite being hospitalized a week ago with a stomach ailment. Sale went 12-4 with a 2.11 earned-run average this season.

Dodgers southpaw Clayton Kershaw, hoping to shatter a history of underperforming in big games, is expected to pitch the opener despite throwing Saturday's last inning in a playoff win at Milwaukee.

It's baseball's first version of the Boston-LA rivalry made famous in NBA Lakers-Celtics 1980s title showdowns and it comes in Fenway Park, the oldest venue in the major leagues dating to 1912, half a century before Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers, whose history dates to the 1880s and includes a move from Brooklyn to California 60 years ago, and Red Sox, in their 118th campaign, met in the 1916 World Series, which Boston won thanks in part to 13 scoreless innings pitched by legend Babe Ruth in a 2-1 Red Sox victory.

"I think it's great for baseball," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "Two storied franchises going head-to-head. It's going to be a great series."

- Grinding out the hits -

The Red Sox, who had a $240 million payroll, are unbeaten on the road in the playoffs, going 5-0 and outscoring foes 40-13.

"Probably the best team in baseball," Dodgers slugger Yasiel Puig said. "They won the most games. But now they are going to have to face us."

Boston boasts the two top batters in the major leagues in Mookie Betts, who averaged .346 with 32 home runs and 82 runs batted in, and J.D. Martinez, who averaged .330 with 43 homers and 130 runs batted in.

"We take pride in grinding at-bats out," Martinez said. "These guys are great and so fun to be around. I couldn't be happier to go to the World Series with them."

The Red Sox had the winningest major league season since 2001 and are a perfect 7-0 when scoring first in post-season games.

"That's the best team in the game right now. We respect that. We know they are good," Dodgers closing relief pitcher Kenley Jansen said.

"We all stuck together. We never quit. We have one goal and we fell short last year. We just have to play 27 outs and see how it goes."

- Machado will be booed -

Dodgers shortstop Manny Machado, obtained in a July trade with Baltimore, has a history with Boston fans after injuring Dustin Pedroia in a slide that led to an exchange of batters hit by pitchers on both teams. Controversial slides against Milwaukee made him a villain again this month.

"They are always going to boo the best," Machado said after getting jeers from Brewers fans.

Dodgers manager Roberts was traded as a player from Los Angeles to the Red Sox in 2004, when he helped the club win its first World Series title since 1918.

"I'm looking forward to going back to Fenway," Roberts said. "I have a lot of fond memories of the Red Sox and Fenway Park. To be wearing another uniform going in there playing for a World Series championship is going to be special for me."

Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who could become only the fifth rookie manager to win a World Series, played with the Dodgers and later helped Boston to the 2007 Series title.


source: news.abs-cbn.com

Baseball: LA Dodgers power past Brewers to return to World Series

MILWAUKEE -- Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Cody Bellinger acknowledged feeling "ice cold" late Saturday night.

He was referring to the champagne that had doused his uniform, not the struggles that threatened to sink his National League Championship Series.

Persistence flowed like clubhouse bubbly for several players as the resilient Dodgers booked a return trip to the World Series by defeating the Milwaukee Brewers, 5-1, in Game 7 of the NLCS.

Bellinger, the NLCS MVP, was a leading example. Though he hit .200 in the series, his home run on Saturday accounted for the go-ahead run, and he had the game-winning hit in the 13th inning of Game 4.

"All postseason, I felt fairly good," Bellinger said. "I wasn't seeing any results. And luckily for me I've got a lot of veterans on this team. They said stick with the process and the result will come. And that's exactly what I did, and it showed."

Yasiel Puig also hit a home run to back a strong effort from rookie right-hander Walker Buehler and four relievers, sending the Dodgers to the Fall Classic in consecutive years for the first time since 1977-78.

Game 1 of the World Series against the Red Sox is set for Tuesday night at Fenway Park in Boston.

The Dodgers and Red Sox franchises -- among the most storied in Major League Baseball -- met in the World Series once before, in 1916, when the Dodgers existed as the Brooklyn Robins.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who helped the Red Sox to the 2004 World Series title as a speedy reserve outfielder, forecast a great series ahead.

"I'm looking forward to going back to Fenway," Roberts said. "Obviously for me personally, I have a lot of fond memories of the Red Sox and Fenway Park. To be wearing another uniform going in there playing for a World Series championship is going to be special for me."

Puig had three of the Dodgers' 10 hits, none bigger than a three-run home run in the sixth inning that gave Los Angeles a 5-1 lead. Buehler helped set the tone for the pitching staff with a strong start, limiting the Brewers to one run and six hits in 4 2/3 innings while striking out seven.

Bidding for its first World Series appearance since 1982, Milwaukee finished 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position while striking out 14 times against the Dodgers.

"That was the bottom line is they pitched well and they didn't let us get anything going," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said.

"We weren't able to put together rallies, multiple hits, and get things going. And credit to them for how they pitched tonight."

Los Angeles' sixth-inning rally came on the heels of Dodgers left fielder Chris Taylor's dazzling defensive play to end a prime Milwaukee scoring chance in the fifth. With two out and the potential tying run on second base, Brewers right fielder Christian Yelich drilled an opposite-field line drive to the left field gap against Julio Urias.

Taylor ranged toward the ball to make a sliding, over-the-shoulder catch on the warning track.

"That was the catch of the year," Bellinger said. "I don't know what would happen if he doesn't make that catch. It would have been a tie game, who knows. That was an unbelievable catch. And it was really cool to see it firsthand, right there."

Yelich opened the scoring with one out in the first inning, delighting the sellout crowd of 44,097 by smacking a solo home run to right field. The ball narrowly escaped Puig's leaping attempt at the wall.

The Dodgers responded in the top of the second, however, as Bellinger hit a two-run homer into the second deck in right to give Los Angeles a 2-1 lead. Shortstop Manny Machado, who had two hits, started the rally by bunting down the third base line on a 3-2 count to beat a defensive shift.

Brewers right-hander Jhoulys Chacin worked out of further trouble to end the inning, which proved to be his final action of the game. Counsell pinch-hit for Chacin with two on and two out in the bottom of the second, but Jonathan Schoop grounded out to end the threat.

Chacin (1-1) allowed two runs on three hits in two innings, walking one. A fully rested Josh Hader followed and kept the Brewers afloat by continuing a dominant postseason.

Pitching for the first time since Game 4, Hader struck out four, walked one and allowed one hit in three innings of scoreless relief. The All-Star left-hander fanned 16 of the 35 batters he faced in 10 shutout innings over seven playoff appearances. He allowed five hits and walked one.

Hader said he hopes the Brewers can use their postseason experience to their advantage next season.

"The group of guys that we have here, the talent that we have, the sky's the limit. I really feel like that," Hader said. "We just come back next year, get better and see where it takes us."

Largely reliable throughout the regular season stretch run and into October, the Brewers' bullpen stumbled after Hader exited the game. Puig lined a three-run home run to left field against Jeremy Jeffress with two outs and pumped his arms exuberantly as he rounded the bases.

Urias, Ryan Madson, Kenley Jansen and Clayton Kershaw combined for 4 1/3 innings of one-hit relief. Madson (1-0) earned the victory, scattering one hit and two strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings.

The Dodgers stood at 16-26 on May 16 and did not climb over .500 until June 10. They took sole possession of the National League West lead for the first time on July 13 but battled with the Colorado Rockies for the division crown through the end of the regular season.

Los Angeles clinched its sixth successive division title with a home victory against the Rockies in the NL West tiebreaker game.

The Brewers also needed a 163rd regular-season game to outlast the Chicago Cubs for the NL Central title, earning the club's third postseason berth since moving to the National League in 1998.

"This series could have went either way," Roberts said. "And they gave us all we could handle."

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