WORLD SERIES GAME 2 POST-MORTEM
Astros 7, Dodgers 6 (11 innings)
Through seven innings the Astros simply looked snakebit again.
Until they didn’t.
And then, a little while later, it looked like the type of game the Astros – not specifically the 2017 Astros, mind you, but The Houston Astros Baseball Club – would lose.
Until it wasn’t. As both teams drove the ball with authority in the late innings – especially in extras, in which five of the World Series’ 22 all-time extra-inning home runs were hit – Houston did it just a little better and outlasted the Dodgers for their first ever win of a World Series game.
It was especially refreshing to see Springer break out of his funk, obviously highlighted by his 11th inning two-run homer that ended up being the game-winner. It’s also good to see the guys get some good hacks in on the Dodger bullpen.
For funsies, go check out Fangraphs’s win probability chart for this game.
Also, totally called this one. Sort of.
WORLD SERIES GAME 3 – Series tied 1-1
Friday, October 27, 7:09pm CDT – Minute Maid Park
Yu Darvish (2-0, 1.59) vs. Lance McCullers Jr. (0-0, 2.08)
Darvish ended his season as pretty much the same pitcher after being dealt to LA. Before his last start as a stRanger (in which he gave up 10 runs in just 3.2 innings) he had a 3.44 ERA in the AL, and closed the regular season with a 3.44 ERA in the NL and gave up home runs at roughly the same clip, although his K:BB ratio improved a bit after going west. Darvish has two one-run games (each run scoring on a home run) under his belt this postseason, a five-inning game against the Diamondbacks and a six-plus inning game in Chicago. Darvish can be hit in the postseason, having allowed four home runs to the Blue Jays in Game 2 of the 2016 ALDS.
As a former division foe, Darvish is a known quantity for the Astros and they have had varying levels of success against him. This year Darvish faced them twice, the first time losing a 7-1 decision in five innings as Correa launched a three-run blast off of him. His second performance against Houston was better, allowing just one run over seven. In three starts in 2016 he was 0-1 with a 3.38 ERA.
Good Lance has been on display this month. He has faced the Dodgers once, at Minute Maid Park in 2015; he took a no-decision after working seven innings and allowing two runs.
Select pitcher/batter matchups:
Forsythe vs. McCullers: 7 AB, .286/.286/.429
Go check the box score from 8/23/2015 for pretty much everyone else
Springer vs. Darvish: 18 AB, .333/.333/.667
Altuve vs. Darvish: 32 AB, .219/.342/.281
Correa vs. Darvish: 15 AB, .200/.200/.467
Beltran vs. Darvish: 10 AB, .200/.273/.200
Reddick vs. Darvish: 25 AB, .160/.185/.240
Marwin vs. Darvish: 14 AB, .143/.200/.143
McCann vs. Darvish: 11 AB, .091/.167/.182
