The Astros are back in the driver's seat
Astros playoff report presented by APG&E: Houston evens World Series with a dominant win in Game 4
Oct 26, 2019, 10:57 pm
Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images
Alex Bregman hit a monster grand slam to blow World Series Game 4 open
With an utterly disappointing start to the World Series for the Astros having lost the first two games at home with their best pitchers on the mound, they took Game 3 to get back into it. On Saturday, they went one step further with an 8-1 win in Game 4, and are now back in the driver's seat with both teams needing two wins of the final three games to take the series.
It started with a brilliant performance by Jose Urquidy, who exceeded expectations in a start that earned him a win, then Alex Bregman put the exclamation point on the night with a grand slam later in the game. Here is a recap of Game 4:
Final Score: Astros 8, Nationals 1.
Series: tied 2-2.
Winning Pitcher: Jose Urquidy.
Losing Pitcher: Patrick Corbin.
Houston jumps ahead early again
Just like in Game 3, the Astros went right at the Nationals to get an early lead. It came by way of four-straight singles in the top of the first by Jose Altuve, Michael Brantley, Alex Bregman, and Yuli Gurriel, with Bregman and Gurriel's coming in for RBIs. They would go on to load the bases, but an inning-ending double play would hold them to just a 2-0 lead.
That score held until the top of the fourth, where Houston doubled their score with one swing of the bat. Carlos Correa started the inning with his second walk of the night, setting up a two-run homer by Robinson Chirinos, his second in as many nights, pushing the Astros out to a 4-0 lead.
2 days, 2 homers for @robinson28ch. 💪💪 #WorldSeries pic.twitter.com/4s894plqNN
— MLB (@MLB) October 27, 2019
Urquidy exceeds expectations in a gem of a start
While the Astros were putting up four runs, Jose Urquidy would have been okay with just one through his start. In a game that was expected to be full of many relievers, the rookie pitcher carried his team on his back for a terrific outing.
Urquidy allowed two hits, a single in the first and double in the third. That's it for five innings in the World Series against the Nationals who just three days ago put up twelve runs. Not only was it just what his team needed, but it was also arguably the best start by a pitcher on either team this whole series. His final line in an incredible night: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K.
Nats get one back in the sixth, but Bregman blows it open in the seventh
Josh James was first out of Houston's bullpen as they looked to their relievers to hold on to the four-run lead over the final four innings. James would not have his best stuff, getting a strikeout but allowing two walks, prompting A.J. Hinch to make another move to bring in Will Harris to shut down the inning.
Harris would have a comebacker deflect off his leg against his first batter, loading the bases before getting an RBI-groundout for the second out, making it 4-1. He would end the threat there, getting a crucial strikeout to end the inning and hold the three-run lead.
In the top of the seventh, the Astros went to work against Washington's bullpen. They loaded the bases on a pinch-hit walk by Kyle Tucker, walk by George Springer, then single by Michal Brantley. That brought the struggling Alex Bregman to the plate with one out, and instead of getting just one run on a sacrifice hit, instead blew the game open with a huge grand slam to make it 8-1 and get him back on track at the plate.
ALEX. BREGMAN. GRAND. SLAM. pic.twitter.com/wWV5ac6XAN
— MLB (@MLB) October 27, 2019
Houston ties the series
Hector Rondon was next out of Houston's bullpen to try and hold the newly created seven-run lead in the bottom of the seventh. He would record two outs while putting two on base, resulting in a change to bring in Brad Peacock, who would get the last out of the inning. Peacock remained in the game for the bottom of the eighth, working around a walk and error for a scoreless inning to move the game into the ninth with Houston still ahead seven runs.
Chris Devenski was the final pitcher of the night for the Astros, coming in for the bottom of the ninth to hold on to the seven-run lead and get the final three outs. He did so, getting a scoreless frame to finish the victory, which has Houston in a tie for the World Series with back-to-back wins after dropping the first two games.
Up Next: World Series Game 5 will get underway Sunday with another 7:07 PM Central start time. The pitching matchup is a rematch of Game 1 with the Nationals sending out Max Scherzer and the Astros starting Gerrit Cole. Scherzer was the winner of that game with five innings of work while allowing two runs and Cole received his first loss of the postseason by allowing five runs over seven frames. Houston will expect Cole to be back to the dominant self that had him out to a 3-0 start to the postseason before that tough outing.
The Astros playoff report is presented by APG&E.
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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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