WORLD SERIES GAME 6 PREVIEW

Astros pin title hopes on Verlander at Dodger Stadium tonight

Astros pin title hopes on Verlander at Dodger Stadium tonight
It's World Series Game 6 tonight. MLB.com

The Astros and Dodgers play Game 6 of the World Series tonight. Here is a preview. Check back during the game for inning by inning updates:

When: 7:20 p.m.

Where: Dodger Stadium.

TV: Fox Sports.

Streaming: Fox Sports Go.

Pitching matchup: Justin Verlander vs. Rich Hill.

Series: Astros lead 3-2.

The breakdown:  Coming off one of the most amazing games in baseball history, the Astros will try to win their first-ever World Series tonight. The Astros will send out their postseason hero, Justin Verlander, who despite giving up three runs over six innings in Game 2 of this series has been incredibly good for Houston. Verlander has pitched 30.2 innings in the playoffs with a 2.05 ERA. The Dodgers will send out Rich Hill, who has not gone more than 5 innings and has allowed at least one run in all three of his postseason starts, but he has a 2.77 ERA. An Astros win will end the series and give Houston its first championship in franchise history, but the last 11 times a home team in Game 6 of the World Series was down 3-2, that team has gone 9-2 in Game 6 and 8-1 in Game 7, so the Dodgers are still very much alive, and in fact the odds are in their favor, so Verlander might be the Astros best hope. Both bullpens are gassed, so both starting pitchers going deep will be critical to the outcome.

Series schedule 

                 Time/Date            Site/Result                Pitchers

Game 1        Tuesday                 Dodgers 3, Astros 1       Kershaw (W), Keuchel (L)

Game 2        Wed.                       Astros 7, Dodgers 6      Devenski (W), McCarthy (L)

Game 3       Today                      Astros 5, Dodgers 3       McCullers (W) Darvish  (L)

Game 4        Sat.                          Dodgers 6, Astros 2       Watson (W), Giles (L)

Game 5        Sun.                         Astros 13, Dodgers 12    Musgrove (W), Jansen (L)

Game 6        Today                      Dodger Stadium             Verlander vs. Hill

Game 7 *      Wed.                       Dodger Stadiun               TBA

*-if necessary. 

All games on Fox

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The Tigers beat the Astros, 7-4. Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images.

Javy Báez capped a five-run third inning with his ninth career grand slam, and the Detroit Tigers avoided a series sweep by beating the Houston Astros 7-4 on Wednesday.

Baez’s two-out homer off AJ Blubaugh (0-1), a 24-year-old right-hander making his major league debut, put the Tigers ahead 7-1. All five runs were unearned due to shortstop Jeremy Peña throwing error on Kerry Carpenter's grounder.

Riley Greene tied his career high with four hits.

Brenan Hanifee (2-0) pitched two scoreless innings in relief of Jackson Jobe, who allowed three runs, four hits and four walks in three innings. Detroit has won five of seven and nine of 13.

Blubaugh (0-1) struck out two in a 1-2-3 first and gave up seven runs — two earned — and five hits in four innings with six strikeouts and a walk.

Blubaugh was optioned back to Sugar Land after the game.

Peña hit the first career leadoff home run, the first of his three hits, but Colt Keith hit a two-run homer in the second to put Detroit ahead for good.

Jose Altuve hit a two-run double in the fifth and Victor Caratini homered in the seventh against Tyler Holton.

Holton struck out Yainer Diaz to strand two runners in the seventh and Tommy Kahnle struck out Christian Walker to leave two runners on in the eighth.

Houston went 2 for 10 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 runners.

Key moment

Báez drove a high sweeper over the left-field scoreboard.

Key stat

Houston allowed five unearned runs in the third inning after giving up three in its first 29 games.

Up next

Astros: LHP Framber Valdez (1-3 4.00 ERA) opens a three-game series at the Chicago White Sox on Friday night.

Tigers: RHP Casey Mize (4-1 2.12 ERA) opens a four-game series against the Los Angeles Angels and LHP Yusei Kikuchi (0-4, 4.31) on Thursday night.

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