PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Justin Verlander overcame an early concussion to earn the World Series victory that had long eluded him, rookie Jeremy Peña hit a home run and the Houston Astros beat the Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 on Thursday night to go home with a 3-2 lead.
Backed by late defensive gems from Trey Mancini and Chas McCormick, the Astros moved to the brink of their second championship — the other being a scandal-tainted title in 2017. They can close it out Saturday night at Minute Maid Park.
Houston took the lead on just four pitches against Noah Syndergaard on Peña’s run-scoring single. Philly’s Kyle Schwarber then settled in to lead off the bottom half, following a five-run lead Verlander squandered in Houston’s 6-5, 10-inning first loss.
Peña had three hits, including an RBI single in the first and an eighth-inning single that plated Jordan Alvarez with a run scored. He made a leaping catch at shortstop to shut the Phillies down in the third, then regained the lead an inning later with his fourth homer of the postseason. He is the first rookie ever to go deep in the Fall Classic.
After Jean Segura’s one-out RBI single against Rafael Montero in the eighth, Ryan Pressly escaped a first-and-third jam by beating Brandon Marsh and Schwarber on a nearly 100 mph one-hopper that was hooked over first base by Mancini.
Mancini, the backup first baseman, was pinch-hit in the upper half after 2021 Gold Glove winner Yuli Gurriel collided with a groundout, injuring his right knee. He played defense for the first time since the regular season finale, getting into foul territory and reaching back with his left foot to touch the bag on Schwarber’s snap.
McCormick helped Presley complete a five-out save. The center fielder ran 91 feet to hit a backhand jumper against the chain-link fence in front of JT Realmuto’s right-center plate for the second of the ninth.
“I thought he hit it,” McCormick said.
After Bryce Harper was hit by a pitch, Nick Castellanos bounced to his feet to end a 3-hour, 57-minute thriller.
Since previous series tied 2-2, the winner of Game 5 has won 31 of 47 times.
Verlander is among only five Astros left on the team caught using video to steal signs in ’17. He was 0-6 with an obscene 6.07 ERA in eight series dating back to his debut season with Detroit in 2006, a career blip for the 244-game winner who will likely win his third Cy Young Award this season.
Heading into an extra day of rest for his arm and stubble on his face, the 39-year-old right-hander gave up just one run and four hits over five innings with four walks and six strikeouts – including four in a row in the fourth and fifth. He lowered his streak ERA to 5.63.
Philadelphia loaded the bases in the second with Segura’s single and a pair of walks. After a visit from pitching coach Bill Murphy, Verlander got out of trouble by striking out Rhys Hoskins on a slider.
“You’ve got to get these guys early,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “The pitching coach made a trip to the mound and it looked like he immediately went to his slider and threw better.”
Verlander threw with unusual care, throwing extremely fastballs to 17 pitches to Harper in three appearances.
After Harper doubled in the last of those with two outs in the fifth, Verlander and Castellanos squared off in an epic 10-hit battle. After trying two fastballs, two curveballs and his only changeup of the night, Verlander threw his fifth slider from the plate view and retired Castellanos on a fly leg to left, pumping his fist twice in excitement.
It was Verlander’s 94th inning. Dusty Baker, close to his first title in a quarter century as a major league manager, went to his bullpen.
Astros pitchers struck out 12, raising their two-game total to 26.
Philadelphia lost back-to-back games for the first time this postseason. The Phillies changed plans after Game 3 ended and wore retro powder blue uniforms in the series for the first time since 1983.
Syndergaard made his first Fall Classic appearance since 2015 with the New York Mets and was limited to three relief appearances since his previous start on Oct. 1.
Jose Altuve hit his second hit high off the wall in right-center and took third when center fielder Marsh fumbled the pickup on an error. Thomson made the unusual decision to move the infield for the second hit of the game, and Peña singled to center.
Schwarber tied it on Verlander’s second pitch by hooking a fastball and sending a no-doubt drive to right for his second home run of the series and fifth this postseason.
Harper walked with one out in the third and Peña jumped to grab Castellanos’ scorcher. Alec Bohm singled and Verlander retired Bryson Scott on a groundout.
Peña jumped on a hanging curveball in the fourth for his fourth home run of the postseason, Syndergaard’s 44th and final pitch.
IT’S LATE
It was the third game in November, marking the first time the majority of the series has been played in that month.
STRIPES
Gurriel recorded his first 48 postseason appearances without a strikeout before facing Connor Brogdon in the fourth. He trailed only Joey Cora’s 51 in 1995, David Eckstein’s 50 in 2006 and Juan Pierre’s 49 in 2003.
NEXT
Houston LHP Framber Valdez should face Phillies RHP Zack Wheeler. Valdez allowed one run, four hits and three walks over 6 1/3 innings in Game 2, while Wheeler gave up five runs — four earned — and three walks in five innings, including Alex Bregman’s two-run homer.
___
AP MLB: and
Add Comment