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Verlander records his first World Series victory as Astros take a 3-2 series lead
Nov 3, 2022, 11:22 pm
Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images.
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When a best of seven series is tied 2-2, the winner of game five goes on to win the series roughly 70-80% of the time across all major sports. The Astros came into this game riding high off their game four 5-0 combined no-hitter. With future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander taking the mound, there was some skepticism entering this game. As good as Verlander's regular season has been throughout his career, even his postseason stats, his World Series record is horrendous. 0-6 in eight starts with a 6.07 ERA and nine homers given up doesn't say Hall of Fame caliber pitcher. Things got going early on in the game.
Jose Altuve got the party started with a triple off the wall to right field. Jeremy Pena followed with a single to score Altuve and make it 1-0 Astros. Phillies starter Noah Syndergaard only lasted a couple more innings after that. Verlander gave up a solo home run to Kyle Schwarber on his second pitch to tie the game at 1-1. It was Verlander's 10th World Series home run allowed, most of all time. Pena gave the Astros the lead with a solo shot in the fourth inning. Verlander went five innings only giving up the solo homer to Schwarber. He settled down and got out of some jams with 94 pitches thrown and six strikeouts.
In the eighth inning, both teams scored another run. In the top of the inning, Yordan Alvarez grounded to first base and Altuve scored from third. In the bottom of the inning, Jean Segura singled to right and Nick Castellanos scored. 3-2 going into the ninth inning with Ryan Pressly on the mound is about as solid as things can get. Except the Phillies had their two, three, and four hitters coming up. Those guys were a combined 0 for 8 with six strikeouts in the game.
Rhys Hoskins got up and struck out after fighting off several 0-2 pitches. J.T. Realmuto was up next and gave a ball a ride to the warning track where Chas McCormick made a tremendous catch against the wall for out number two. Phillies big bopper Bryce Harper was up with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Pressly hit him in the shoe to put the winning run in the batter's box. Castellanos, the free swinger, was up next. Pressly got him to ground out to Pena. Ball game!
Verlander got off the schneid with his first World Series win. The Astros take a commanding 3-2 series lead. The series is headed back to Houston for Game Six. Now this team has the opportunity to close out the series at home. They have the chance to quiet the haters and doubters with their second World Series title in their fourth appearance in the Fall Classic in the last six seasons. This will cement legacies and be a fitting feather in the cap of this dynasty. One more win. Nine more innings. 27 more outs away from one of the biggest EFF YOU'S in sports history!
Sunday night matchups don't get much exciting than this, as the Houston Texans host the Detroit Lions in prime-time at NRG.
The Lions come into this game on a six-game winning streak looking every bit of the best team in football. Houston on the other hand has lost two of their last three games with a struggling offense unable to protect their quarterback.
CJ Stroud has only one passing touchdown over this span, and is clearly having trouble adjusting to life without Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins.
If Houston is going to come away with an upset victory, they will need big performances from Tank Dell and Joe Mixon. After catching 4 passes against the Colts two weeks ago, Mixon not only failed to catch a single pass against the Jets, but he wasn't even targeted.
Considering the Texans' offensive line issues, choosing not to use Mixon as a pass catcher is hard to fathom. Especially since he and Dell are the team's top 2 playmakers.
What's working in the Texans' favor?
They play this game at home, where they are undefeated this season. A lot of the team's protection issues have popped up on the road, so communication should be easier for the offense on their home turf.
Bulls on Parade
We have good news and bad news about the defense this week. On the positive side, Azeez Al-Shaair and Jimmy Ward have returned to practice. If they're able to contribute on Sunday night, that would give the defense a lift.
And now for the bad news. Will Anderson has yet to practice this week after rolling his ankle in the Jets game. If he is unable to practice on Friday, it's hard to imagine he'll be active against Detroit.
X-factors
The Texans have to show some improvement on the offensive line this week.
Houston must lean on Joe Mixon again, as Nico Collins isn't expected to play.
Lions' Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the best receivers in the league, and he does most of his damage from the slot. If the Texans continue to deploy Jalen Pitre against premier receivers in man coverage, St. Brown is going to light up the scoreboard.
What would a win over the Lions mean to Houston?
The Texans are no longer considered a true championship contender because of their losses to the Packers, Vikings, and Jets. In fact, the Bills are the only team with a winning record that the Texans have beaten.
An upset win over the streaking Lions would change that narrative.
What does Vegas think?
The Lions are currently favored by 3.5 and the total is set at 49 points.
Don't miss the full preview of Texans-Lions in the video above!
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