Baseball-Astros beat Phillies to tie World Collection at 1-1 By Reuters

(Reuters) -The Houston Astros made one other quick begin in opposition to the visiting Philadelphia Phillies however this time round held it collectively by way of some drama-filled late moments for a 5-2 victory on Saturday that squared the World Collection at one sport apiece.

Houston blew a commanding 5-0 lead in Friday’s opening sport of the best-of-seven Main League Baseball championship for his or her first lack of the postseason and had been as soon as once more put to the take a look at by a relentless Phillies crew.

“They had been at all times threatening over there, as you noticed, how they got here again on us yesterday,” Astros supervisor Dusty Baker advised reporters.

“However this crew has a brief reminiscence on unhealthy occurrences and unhealthy video games.

“You possibly can’t carry yesterday into at this time or else it can proceed. You need to begin yet again and simply notice it is a new day and hopefully we now have a unique end result.”

The Astros started the sport with three consecutive doubles for a 2-0 lead and had been gifted one other run earlier than the primary inning was over, after a throwing error by Phillies shortstop Edmundo Sosa on a routine floor ball with two outs.

It marked the primary time in historical past a crew began a World Collection sport with three consecutive extra-base hits.

Houston then opened up a 5-0 lead when third baseman Alex Bregman blasted a two-run homer to left middle area within the backside of the fifth inning.

With the Astros forward 5-1 and 6 outs away from victory, Phillies left fielder Kyle Schwarber narrowly missed hitting a two-run homer twice in consecutive swings.

The primary occasion got here when Schwarber fired a ball down the right-field line that was initially dominated a homer and noticed him circle the bases earlier than a assessment accurately deemed the ball hooked foul.

On the following pitch, Schwarber’s ball sailed to the warning monitor the place it landed within the outstretched glove of Kyle Tucker proper in entrance of the outfield wall.

“Effectively, it seemed foul to me, however the umpire known as it truthful, after which they bought collectively, known as it foul. I simply went out and I mentioned: ‘Why do not we simply examine it simply to verify it simply did not clip off the foul pole,'” mentioned Phillies supervisor Rob Thomson.

“And you do not see it too usually the place a man hits a foul residence run after which hits a good residence run, however he nearly pulled it off. That may have been good.”

Astros beginning pitcher Framber Valdez delivered a gem because the All-Star left-hander surrendered only one run on 4 hits whereas tying his postseason profession excessive with 9 strikeouts throughout 6-1/3 innings.

The Phillies’ runs got here on a sacrifice fly that introduced in Nick Castellanos within the seventh inning and with two outs within the ninth, when a fielding error by first baseman Yuli Gurriel allowed Alec Bohm to attain.

The World Collection now shifts to Philadelphia for the following three contests, beginning with Sport Three on Monday.