WORLD SERIES GAME 5
Astros win epic slugfest 13-12, take 3-2 series lead
Oct 30, 2017, 4:21 am
After having Dallas Keuchel struggle and put them down in a seemingly insurmountable 4-0 hole against Clayton Kershaw, the Astros offense had a magical night to win a back-and-forth slugfest to win Game 5 and now own a 3-2 series lead, putting them one win away from a championship.
Yuli Gurriel and Jose Altuve both hit game-tying three-run home runs early in the game, George Springer, Carlos Correa, and Brian McCann hit homers of their own later in the game, but it was Alex Bregman's walk-off hit in the tenth that made the difference as Houston goes on to beat the Dodgers 13-12 in an offensive clash for the ages.
Chris Taylor started Game 5 with a leadoff single up the middle off of Dallas Keuchel, then moved to second after a one-out walk of Justin Turner. Keuchel issued another walk to load the bases, then gave up a two-out single by Logan Forsythe to give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead. The Dodgers made it 3-0 as Kike Hernandez came home during a pickoff attempt of Forsythe who got stuck between first and second but made it safely after a wide throw by Gurriel that put Altuve too far away from the bag to make the tag in time. In the bottom of the inning, Clayton Kershaw made quick work of the Astros, retiring them in order on 12 pitches.
Keuchel was much better in the top of the second and was able to get a 1-2-3 inning to keep the Dodgers off the bases. Kershaw continued to overpower the Astros bats in the bottom of the inning, making it a six up, six down inning to send the 3-0 game into the third.
Keuchel continued to bounce back from the bad first inning, retiring the Dodgers in order again in the top of the third. Evan Gattis was the first baserunner for the Astros after getting a leadoff single in the bottom of the inning but was the first out in a double play hit by Marwin Gonzalez. Kershaw then got a groundout to end the third and maintain his team's 3-0 lead.
In the top of the fourth, Keuchel gave up a one-out double to Forsythe who then scored on a two-out single by Austin Barnes to make it a 4-0 Dodger lead. Keuchel then allowed an infield single to Charlie Culberson, resulting in A.J. Hinch ending his short, disappointing night to bring in Luke Gregerson from the bullpen who was able to get a strikeout to end the half inning. Springer worked a leadoff walk against Kershaw in the bottom of the inning, then moved to second on a one-out single from Altuve. Correa was up next and lasered a ball into left-field to get the Astros on the board and make it a 4-1 game. Gurriel was up next and tied the game with one amazing swing, launching a ball off the wall above the Crawford Boxes to tie the game at 4-4 and send Minute Maid Park into a frenzy. Kershaw was able to get a flyout to end the inning, but the damage had been done.
Collin McHugh took over on the mound for the Astros in the top of the fifth and issued back-to-back walks to start the inning. That would turn into a go-ahead three-run home run by Cody Bellinger to give the Dodgers the lead back at 7-4. In the bottom of the inning, Kershaw issued back-to-back two-out walks prompting a call to the Dodgers bullpen to bring out Kenta Maeda. Altuve tied the game up yet again, getting a two-out three-run homer of his own to make it 7-7 before Maeda could get out of the inning and send the tie game to the sixth.
McHugh returned in the top of the sixth and worked around a one-out walk with a flyout and strikeout to get through the half inning. Maeda likewise continued on the mound for the Dodgers, but issued a one-out walk and was then pulled in favor of Tony Watson. Watson was able to strand the inherited runner and keep the game tied headed to the seventh.
Brad Peacock was next out of the bullpen for the Astros in the top of the seventh and allowed a leadoff double to Turner before throwing Turner out at third on a bunt by Hernandez. Hernandez came around to score on a missed diving attempt by Springer on a hit by Bellinger that made it all the way to the center field wall, giving the Dodgers the lead again, 8-7. Without missing a beat, Springer led off the bottom of the inning by rocketing a ball to the train tracks in left field off of Brandon Morrow to, yet again, tie the game. Bregman was next and singled, then hustled to score on an Altuve double, giving the Astros their first lead of the night, 9-8. The offense didn't stop there, Correa followed and hit a two-run homer to extend the lead to 11-8, still with no outs in the inning, resulting in another call to the Dodgers' bullpen. Tony Cingrani took over for the Dodgers and was able to get three consecutive strikeouts to bring an end to another long, epic inning.
In the top of the eighth, Brad Peacock allowed a one-out double to Joc Pederson, then had a pitch get away from him that hit Chris Taylor, putting runners on first and second with one out, and bringing A.J. Hinch out of the dugout to bring in Will Harris. Harris allowed an RBI double to Corey Seager to make it 11-9, then got Justin Turner to fly out to right before another call to the bullpen, this time for Chris Devenski, who was able to get a groundout for the third out. Tony Cingrani stayed on the mound for the bottom of the inning, but he too fell victim to the Astros as McCann hit a one-out solo shot to make it 12-9 and prompt bringing in Ross Stripling. Stripling was able to work around a single by Springer to get a double play to send the game to the ninth.
Devenski was brought back out for the top of the ninth and allowed a one-out, two-run home run to Yasiel Puig to make it a one-run game at 12-11, then a double to Austin Barnes who advanced to third on a groundout for the second out. Barnes would score on a two-out single up the middle by Chris Taylor, tying the game at 12 before Devenski was able to get the third out. Kenley Jansen took over for the Dodgers in the bottom of the ninth and worked around a two-out double by Yuli Gurriel to send the game to extra innings.
In the top of the tenth, the Astros turned to Joe Musgrove who was able to work around a one-out single by Andre Ethier to get through the half inning. Kenley Jansen was back out for his second inning of work in the bottom of the tenth and after hitting Brian McCann with a pitch issued a walk to George Springer. Derek Fisher came out to pinch-run for McCann, which proved to be the difference as Bregman singled to score Fisher and win the five-hour long game.
Game 6: Both teams get tomorrow off as the series shifts to Los Angeles for Game 6 and possible Game 7. First pitch of Game 6 from Dodger Stadium is scheduled for 7:20 PM Central Tuesday night. 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. 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. An Astros win will end the series and give Houston its first championship in franchise history.
So where does one turn now in Houston for mediocre, overpriced salsa? I kid, I kid. While wondering if Breggy Baked Beans are on the horizon. Congrats to Alex Bregman and agent Scott Boras for landing an on its face outlandish three-year 120-million dollar contract with the Boston Red Sox. With deferred money part of the deal the contract will be valuated in the neighborhood of “only” three years 90 million. Would Bregman have taken that from the Astros if offered? The Astros’ six-year 156-million dollar proposal was 26 mil per season. Bregman has the right to opt out after each of the first two seasons of his BoSox deal. If his decline (while still a very good player) of the last two seasons continues, or even if he holds steady, there is near zero chance of Bregman opting out unless he hates life in New England. At the end of the three years, will Bregman be able to land a three-year 66 million-dollar deal when he’s about to turn 34 years old? That plus the 90 mil with deferrals accounted for in his new deal would total 156 million. Massachusetts taxes personal income of just over a million dollars and upward at a nine percent rate. Playing half his games in the Bay State, Bregman will pay Massachusetts tax on half his salary.
Reminders...
Bregman obviously had an excellent Astros’ career, among non-pitchers he is top 10 all-time, but the excellence was frontloaded. Over Bregman’s first three big seasons he compiled a .289 batting average and .924 OPS. Elite numbers. Over the five seasons since: .261 and .795. Good, nothing legendary. After his monster MVP runner-up 2019 season (stats aided by the juiced balls of that season) Bregman was on a strong early Hall of Fame track. Now not so much, without some offensive resurgence. Fenway Park should suit Bregman well. He’ll bang singles and doubles off of the Green Monster, though the much higher than Crawford Boxes wall will not goose his home run numbers. In his time with the Astros Bregman mashed at Fenway with a .375 batting average and 1.240 OPS. That’s in a statistically not very significant 98 regular season plate appearances.
It is myth that Bregman in the postseason was some relentless hitting machine. He posted phenomenal numbers over seven Division Series batting .333 with an OPS over 1.000. Over 68 American League Championship Series and World Series games: batting average .196, OPS sub-.700.
For his career, Bregman’s worst month of performance by far has been April (plus any days in March, .737 OPS). In 2024 Bregman was baseball garbage into mid-May. Should a typical slow start happen again, we’ll see what the Fenway faithful patience level is. By far, Bregman’s best batting month has been August (.992 OPS). As it works out, both Astros-Red Sox series are in August this year. First in Boston August 1-3 then in Houston August 11-13.
Who's on third?
Over the last two seasons combined, new Astros’ third baseman Isaac Paredes has been as good offensively as Bregman. That includes Paredes pretty much stinking for two months in Chicago after being dealt from the Rays to the Cubs. Paredes, who turns 26 years old on Tuesday, was an AL All-Star last season. Bregman, who turns 31 March 30, was last an All-Star in 2019. The defensive drop-off from Bregman to Paredes is a fairly steep one.
There is no question that Bregman’s official departure weakens the Astros via a domino effect. Had Bregman wound up staying here, Paredes would have shifted to second base with Jose Altuve primarily in left field. Now, 600-plus plate appearances that Bregman would have taken project to be divided among Mauricio Dubon, Ben Gamel, Zach Dezenzo, and others. That projects as a substantial offensive downgrade. The lineup net result of the Astros’ offseason is negative. Christian Walker and Paredes joining the infield in lieu of Jon Singleton and Bregman is fine. Kyle Tucker out, hodge-podge in in the outfield, oh boy.
Alex Bregman is an unquestioned gamer, leader, and would seem to have the temperament to take well to the more intense baseball environment of Boston relative to that in Houston. Yankee fans should reeeeally love him now!
New beginnings
Considering baseball wasn’t invented until more than a century later, the poet Alexander Pope did not have baseball in mind when in 1732 he wrote “Hope springs eternal (in the human breast).” It works though. Other than the Chicago White Sox and Colorado Rockies, Major League teams have convened in Florida or Arizona thinking if things break right this could be their year! I’d probably put the Miami Marlins in with the ChiSox and Rockies. Many Astros’ fans are strongly disgruntled over the departures of Bregman and Kyle Tucker. This team still has “gruntlement” potential. The batting order appears Morganna-level (Google as necessary) top heavy, but one through five stacks well versus most other lineups. In the American League only the Mariners, Yankees, and maybe Royals have starting pitching rotations that should rate above the Astros’ rotation. Let the countdown to Opening Day begin!
Spring training is up and running. Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday. Click here to catch!
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