WORLD SERIES GAME 2
Astros-Dodgers preview: Verlander tries to even the series
Oct 18, 2017, 6:05 am
The Astros and Dodgers play Game 2 of the World Series today. Here is a preview of the game. Check back during the game for inning by inning updates:
When: 7:09 p.m.
Where: Dodger Stadium.
TV: Fox Sports.
Streaming: Fox Sports Go.
Pitching matchup: Justin Verlander vs. Rich Hill.
Series: Dodgers lead 1-0.
The breakdown: The Astros bats struggled on the road again in Game 1, but a lot of that had to do with Clayton Kershaw, who was on his game. The matchup is much more favorable for the Astros tonight. Verlander has struggled in the World Series in the past, but he is on his game right now, and is 9-0 as an Astro. The Astros need this one in a big way; if they go down 0-2, their odds of winning the series are pretty slim. In 54 previous series where a team went down 0-2, they won just 11 times. Hill has been a solid find for the Dodgers, and is much better at Dodger Stadium than he is on the road. He is a curveball pitcher, and the Astros need to be much more patient at the plate. When they have struggled, it has been because they have been free swinging at trying to hit home runs. When they are playing their best, they look for pitches to drive, and if they don't get one, they try to make contact and pass it on to the next guy. They will need to do that tonight to send the series back to Minute Maid 1-1. A victory would be the first in the Series for the franchise; Houston is now 0-5.
Time/Date Site/Result Pitchers
Game 1 Tuesday Dodgers 3, Astros 1 Kershaw (W), Keuchel (L)
Game 2 Today, 7:09 p.m. Dodger Stadium Verlander vs. Hill
Game 3 Fri., 7:09 p.m. Minute Maid Park TBA
Game 4 Sat., 7:09 p.m. Minute Maid Park TBA
Game 5* Sun., 7:16 p.m. Minute Maid Park TBA
Game 6* Oct. 31 , 7:09 p.m. Dodger Stadium TBA
Game 7 * Nov. 1, , 7:09 p.m. Dodger Stadiun TBA
*-if necessary.
All games on Fox
Nick Chubb didn’t expect to be a Houston Texan. At least, not until he got the call on a quiet Saturday at home and was on a flight the next day. It happened fast — too fast, even, for the four-time Pro Bowler to fully process what it all meant. But now that he’s here, it’s clear this wasn’t a random landing spot. This was a calculated leap, one Chubb had been quietly considering from afar.
The reasons he chose Houston speak volumes not only about where Chubb is in his own career, but where the Texans are as a franchise.
For one, Chubb saw what the rest of the league saw the last two seasons: a young team turning the corner. He admired the Texans from a distance — the culture shift under head coach DeMeco Ryans, the explosive rise of C.J. Stroud, and the physical tone set by players like Joe Mixon. That identity clicked with Chubb. He’d been a fan of Ryans for years, and once he got in the building, everything aligned.
“I came here and saw a bunch of guys who like to work and not talk,” Chubb said. “And I realized I'm a perfect fit.”
As for his health, Chubb isn’t running from the injuries that cost him parts of the past two seasons, he’s owning them. But now, he says, they’re behind him. After a full offseason of training the way he always has — hitting his speed and strength benchmarks — Chubb says he’s feeling the best he has in years. He’s quick to remind people that bouncing back from major injuries, especially the one he suffered in 2023, is rarely a one-year journey. It takes time. He’s given it time.
Then there’s his fit with Mixon. The two aren’t just stylistic complements, they go way back. Same recruiting class, same reputation for running hard, same respect for each other’s games. Chubb remembers dreading matchups against the Bengals in Cleveland, worrying Mixon would take over the game. Now, he sees the opportunity in pairing up. “It’ll be us kinda doing that back-to-back against other defenses,” he said.
He’s also well aware of what C.J. Stroud brings to the table. Chubb watched Stroud nearly dismantle Georgia in the College Football Playoff. Then he saw it again, up close, when Stroud lit up the Browns in the postseason. “He torched us again,” Chubb said. Now, he gets to run alongside him, not against him.
Stroud made a point to welcome Chubb, exchanging numbers and offering support. It may seem like a small thing, but it’s the kind of leadership that helped sell Chubb on the Texans as more than just a good football fit — it’s a good locker room fit, too.
It appears the decision to come to Houston wasn’t part of some master plan. But in retrospect, it makes perfect sense. Chubb is a player with a no-nonsense work ethic, recovering from adversity, looking to write the next chapter of a career that’s far from over. And the Texans? They’re a team on the rise, built around guys who want to do the same.
You can watch the full interview in the video below.
And for those wondering how Joe Mixon feels about Nick Chubb, check out this video from last season. Let's just say he's a fan.
I’ve seen some speculation indicating that Joe Mixon may not be happy the Texans signed Nick Chubb. If that is what you believe, watch this clip from an interview with @greenlight pod last year & get back to me. pic.twitter.com/3vaip85esj
— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) June 11, 2025
*ChatGPT assisted.
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