WORLD SERIES GAME 5
Astros win epic slugfest 13-12, take 3-2 series lead
Oct 30, 2017, 4:21 am
Derek Fisher celebrates the game-winning run. Christian Petersen/Getty Images
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.
As the Houston Astros continue to navigate a season riddled with injuries and inconsistencies, the question looms larger than ever: can they keep their heads above water? With a barrage of pitching injuries threatening to derail their season, the Astros are finding themselves in a position where every decision matters more than ever.
The recent setbacks to the pitching staff (Hayden Wesnieski, Ronel Blanco) have placed even more pressure on the club. Lance McCullers, whose performances have been inconsistent, is now squarely in the spotlight. The Astros will need him to step up and shoulder a larger portion of the load. At the same time, the bullpen, which has been a bright spot so far, must continue its elite play to keep the team afloat. In particular, Houston can't afford to make mistakes in its decision-making, whether in the lineup or on the field.
Take, for example, the decision to give Chas McCormick a second start after his costly mistakes in Game 1 against the Rays. McCormick’s two pick-offs in that game showed he's lacking focus, yet he was given another chance to start Game 2. Houston needs to be making the right calls on the field, and this was a moment where the manager’s trust in McCormick might have been better placed elsewhere, considering his lack of success in the series.
On the offensive side, the Astros’ struggles have been just as apparent. Jose Altuve, a cornerstone of the franchise, has been attempting to bunt while hitting in the 3-hole. It’s a strategy that just doesn’t make sense. With the Astros needing to produce runs, Altuve's role is to drive them in, not waste strikes with ill-timed bunt attempts.
Is Houston's roster poorly constructed or just unlucky?
Given the pitching woes and offensive troubles, some are beginning to question whether the Astros’ roster is poorly constructed, or if it’s simply been an unfortunate series of events. The bad luck with pitching injuries is undeniable, but the offense tells a different story—particularly when it comes to the lineup’s balance.
One glaring issue is the team’s heavy reliance on right-handed hitters. With players like Christian Walker struggling at the plate, it’s hard to overlook the potential misstep in roster construction. Walker’s performance this season has been abysmal, and it’s fair to wonder if the Astros would have been better off investing in a more flexible first-base platoon. Players like Jon Singleton, Victor Caratini, Zach Dezenzo, Yainer Diaz, and even Mauricio Dubon could have filled in at first base, providing much-needed depth at a fraction of the cost. At this point, they couldn’t have done worse than Walker, who has posted a paltry .199 batting average, .270 OBP, and .607 OPS on the season.
In comparison, Walker’s numbers this season are worse than Jose Abreu’s 2023 campaign with Houston (.237 batting avg, .296 OBP, .680 OPS). Walker is a player known for slow starts, but nothing quite as severe as what we’ve seen in 2025. His struggles are reminiscent of a disastrous start to the 2022 season that saw him fail to find his rhythm until much later in the year, but even then, his slugging percentage was significantly better than what we’re seeing now.
Would a return of “career Yordan Alvarez” fix Houston’s offensive woes?
Amid the offensive malaise, the return of a fully healthy Yordan Alvarez could certainly provide a much-needed spark. If Alvarez were to return to his “career” form, with a healthy pitching staff, an intact bullpen, and a potential resurgence from key hitters, the Astros could see a drastic improvement in their fortunes. However, this is all contingent on a lot of “ifs,” and there’s no guarantee that a turnaround is on the horizon.
Observations and further concerns
As if the struggles on offense and pitching weren’t enough, the Astros’ defense has also been plagued by lapses in fundamentals. One of the more puzzling trends this season has been the number of stolen bases allowed, especially at third base. If the Astros continue to give up steals at this rate, it will be difficult for the pitchers to recover, especially if they are walking batters and putting runners in scoring position with alarming frequency.
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