Final thoughts
Well, so much for there being no surprises this World Series as this writer predicted just (checks watch) yesterday. The Philadelphia Phillies came in knowing they had to win at least one of these first two games away at Minute Maid Park to have the chance at pulling off an upset against the Houston Astros. It was hard to think that it would be this one, given the fact that they fell behind 5-0 early.
However, their bullpen came in and gave them zeroes while the opportunistic Phillies bats did their damage against Justin Verlander, whose inexplicable World Series woes continue. The Astros bullpen managed to do their best to keep the Phillies off the board in regulation, but the 10th inning gave J.T. Realmuto the chance to hit the home run that made all the difference. Now the pressure is on the Astros to even out this series in Game 2 or find themselves in a deep hole.
We’ll continue to cover the 2022 World Series here at the Guardian, so stay here to see how the Astros respond. This will, however, finish up our Game 1 liveblog. Thank you to all who followed along with us throughout this long and winding road, especially those who contributed along the way. Ciao!
The Philadelphia Phillies have, improbably, come back from being down 5-0 to win Game 1 of the 2022 World Series, handing the Houston Astros their first postseason loss.
Phillies Win! Phillies 6-5 Astros
Phillies 6-5 Astros, FINAL
Trey Mancini was up but the Astros go with Aledmys Díaz as a pinch-hitter. Díaz takes a ball that ends up being a wild pitch that puts Bregman on third. The next pitch nearly hits Díaz. 2-0. On the next pitch, Díaz attempts to lean in on the pitch, but the coaches say he made no effort to get out of it. It’s still called a ball. 3-0. Díaz has the green light and swings and misses. 3-1. That was a choice. On the next pitch he hits a routine grounder and that’s it! The Phillies win a wild one in Game 1 of the World Series.
Phillies 6-5 Astros, bottom 10th inning
Gurriel is up with the tying run on second base and two out. He takes a strike. 0-1. He takes a ball. 1-1. He takes another ball outside. 2-1. The next pitch? That’s ball three. 3-1. And he takes the next pitch. The winning run is at first base now.
Phillies 6-5 Astros, bottom 10th inning
Oh no, here’s Kyle Tucker. This is not great for Robertson, who might end up pitching around their Game 1 nemesis. Tucker takes a ball and then takes a home-run cut on a curve in the corner. Nothing doing. 1-1. He fouls off the next pitch as well. 1-2. The next pitch? Ball two. 2-2. On the next pitch, Robertson gets Tucker on a fishing exhibition. Tucker swings and misses for out two. It’s all up to Yuli Gurriel.
Phillies 6-5 Astros, bottom 10th inning
Alex Bregman is up next. He swings and misses to start his at-bat before taking a ball. 1-1. Bregman than fouls off the next pitch. 1-2. Bregman then hits a ringing double off the park fence and the Astros aren’t dead yet!
Phillies 6-5 Astros, bottom 10th inning
Dave Robertson is on the mound for the Phillies. This cannot be the same Dave Robertson that was with the Yankees right? (Checks.) HOW? In any case, he’s here to face Álvarez who fouls off the first ball he sees. He does the same with the second pitch. 0-2. He fouls off pitch three. The next pitch? Well outside. 1-2. Another swing, another ball hit foul. 1-2. And he chases Robertson’s next pitch, which is in the dirt, for strike three. The Phillies are two away from winning Game 1.
The funniest possible thing to happen now is for the Astros to score *exactly* one run here at the bottom of the 10th.
Phillies 6-5 Astros, top 10th inning
Jean Segura, one of those hitters you can’t help but use their full names, is up again. He fouls the first pitch he sees off and the second. Hitters keep falling behind this series and yet it keeps on not mattering, plenty of tough at-bats with lots and lots of foul balls. Like here, Segura fouls the third pitch he sees just out of play. Still 0-2. Segura then lines out to end the inning, but the damage has been done. The Astros have three more outs to play with before they fall 0-1 in the 2022 World Series.
Phillies 6-5 Astros, top 10th inning
The Astros don’t panic they call Ryne Stanek. His first pitch to Stott is a ball. 1-0. On his next pitch, he fouls one off just out of reach. 1-1. Stott falls another one off, 1-2. The next pitch? Just outside. 2-2. Stott fouls another one off. 2-2. That pitch is low. 3-2. The next pitch? Upstairs. That’s a 4-2 count and since that isn’t a thing, Stott takes first base. The Phillies keep the line moving.
Email from Justin Kavanagh:
Just walked the dog here in Philly, and that wonderful old Alex Ferguson description of squeaky bum time has the whole neighborhood sounding like an orchestra wind section warming up before showtime.
Well, it’s about to get even squeakier if the Phillies can’t add a run here. They’ll need three more outs against the heart of the Astros offense.
Phillies 6-5 Astros, top 10th inning
Alec Bohm is out with a runner on first and now one out. He takes a strike. 0-1. The next pitch is outside. 1-1. Bohm hits a bouncer that results in a groundout. Castellanos is at second but the Phillies now just have one out remaining to get him home for an insurance run. Dusty Baker makes a pitching change.
Phillies 6-5 Astros, top 10th inning
Castellanos, who saved the game with his ninth-inning catch is up now with one on and nobody out. The Phillies would love to tack on here and avoid having to hold on to a one-run lead against a formidable offense. Castellanos swings and can’t catch anything. On his next swing he hits into a fielder’s choice that erased Harper at second.
Phillies 6-5 Astros, top 10th inning
The air got sucked out of Minute Maid Park with that home run. Garcia faces Harper next and he gets ahead of him 0-2. Harper fouls off the next one. Still 0-2. The next pitch, outside. 1-2. He takes the next pitch and hits it for a single.
Home run! (Phillies) Phillies 6-5 Astros
Phillies 6-5 Astros, top 10th inning
Luis Garcia is in pitching for the Astros, who have to feel like they should be out of this game. He’ll be facing J.T. Realmuto. Can that jolt at the bottom of the ninth spark the Phillies offense here at the top of the tenth? He takes a ball and then a strike. 1-1. Garcia gets Realmuto to swing and miss here. 1-2. The next pitch is way off the mark. 2-2. Garcia has a funky, rock it back and forth delivery that I dig. His 2-2 pitch is… a cutter away. 3-2. Realmuto hits the next one to right field for a game-untying home run! The Phillies have their first lead of the game and it comes at a perfect time!
We're heading into extra innings. Phillies 5-5 Astros
Phillies 5-5 Astros, bottom 9th inning
Peña flies out and it looks like this could be the game-winning hit but Castellanos makes a game-saving catch in the outfield to send this one to extra innings!
Phillies 5-5 Astros, bottom 9th inning
The outfielders just weren’t positioned quite right and that leaves the inning alive for Peña. On Dominquez’s next pitch, a ball, Altuve breaks out and makes it to second base. The ball from the catcher’s throw, however, just made contact with Altuve before he slid into second. so it’s under review.
And the call stands: safe!
Phillies 5-5 Astros, bottom 9th inning
Altuve takes a strike. 0-1. He takes a ball. 1-1. Already this feels like a better at-bat than most that Altuve has had. He swings and misses at the next offering. 1-2. Altuve fouls a pitch off. Still hanging on, still 1-2. On the next pitch, he flies up… but the ball drops! It drops and he’s safe at first!
Phillies 5-5 Astros, bottom 9th inning
Christian Vazquez, formerly of the Boston Red Sox, is here in place of Maldonado. I told you that pinch-hitting was in our near-future and here we go. He falls behind 1-2 rather quickly, however, before taking ball two. 2-2. Vazquez does have some pop in his bat, or at least he did in Boston. The next pitch is outside. 3-2. Just a walk would keep the line moving for Houston.
Instead, Vazquez gets called out on strike three. The home plate umpire looks for help from the first base coach, who rings him up. That’s two down. Altuve is up representing Houston’s last chance to avoid extras.
Phillies 5-5 Astros, bottom 9th inning
Dominquez is starting the bottom of the ninth facing McCormick. He swings and fouls the first pitch off. 0-1. McCormick swings again, and again it’s 0-2. He takes a ball. 1-2. The next pitch. That’s too high. 2-2. On the next pitch, McCormick swings and misses. That’s one down.
Well, this has been a lot more exciting game than it seemed after the Astros went up 5-0 early. Can they walk it or are we heading into extra innings?
If the latter turns out to be the case, know that there is no “phantom runner” in extra innings during the postseason. They are playing under actual baseball rules instead.
Phillies 5-5 Astros, top 9th inning
Two out in the ninth. Hoskins takes a ball and takes a home run cut at the next pitch but it’s just foul. Pressly might have gotten away with one there. 1-1. He takes another swing and pops it up. We’re headed to the bottom of the ninth all-tied up!
Updated
Phillies 5-5 Astros, top 9th inning
Schwarber, the Taco Deliverer, is up next. Pressly throws a breaking pitch that’s too low. 1-0. The next pitch is a strike that Schwarber couldn’t possibly have done anything had he swung. 1-1. The next pitch is just low and it’s called for a ball. The Minute Main Park audience disagrees. 2-1. The next pitch is called more in their favor. 2-2. Schwarber fouls the next one away. Still 2-2. Feels like a chess match at this point of the game. The next pitch is a ball away. 3-2. The next pitch? Catches the corner! Strike three! Wow.
Phillies 5-5 Astros, top 9th inning
Ryan Pressly is up pitching for the Astros. It’s not technically a save situation but if you’re saving your best bullpen arms for save situations in the World Series you deserve to lose just on principle. Pressly is here to face Marsh, who swings and misses at his first pitch. 0-1. The second pitch, a strike looking. 0-2. These relievers are just utterly ridiculous. On 0-2, Pressly’s pitch Is in the dirt. 1-2. The next pitch is around Marsh’s ankles. 2-2. The next pitch, he grounds out to Altuve.
Phillies 5-5 Astros, bottom 8th inning
Dominquez is facing Mancini, who is up with two outs and one on. He gets ahead of Mancini 0-2 and then his third straight pitch, a 90 mph slider, gets him to strike out and end the inning. The Baseball Gods have spoken. We’re heading into the ninth inning and potentially beyond.
Phillies 5-5 Astros, bottom 8th inning
Seranthony Dominquez is up in a tie game with runner at first, he’ll be facing Gurriel. Gurriel fouls off a 100 mph pitch. Yikes, that’s a Mario Brothers style fireball. At the next pitch, he grounds out into a fielder’s choice. Philadelphia manages to get the runner at second. Philly will take that.
Rob Thomson comes in to take out Suarez and keep him fresh for a potential start later in the series.
Phillies 5-5 Astros, bottom 8th inning
Can Tucker make this the Kyle Tucker Game? He tries in his first swing, but he just hits it foul. 0-1. The FOX graphic just called him “King Tuck” and I am absolutely not going to call him that because that would be a career-altering typo on my part. Tucker fouls off the next pitch. That’s an 0-2 count. The next pitch? That’s too low. 1-2.
And you cannot stop Tucker, he hits a single on the 1-2 count.
Phillies 5-5 Astros, bottom 8th inning
What do I root for in games like this? A part of me roots for a quick resolution and the other part roots for the most dramatic possible game. Here we come to a key half-inning: all the Astros need to do is score a run here and hope their bullpen can give them a few more outs. That would get me out of here quicker but, honestly, this feels like a game that deserves to go into extra innings. I leave it up to the Baseball Gods.
Suarez is out to face Bregman. He bounces back one to the pitcher who throws to first for a quick, easy out.
Phillies 5-5 Astros, top 8th inning
Segura immediately skies one up and we’re heading into the bottom of the eighth.
Phillies 5-5 Astros, top 8th inning
Stott is up next. He gets in the same 0-2 hole as Bohm falls into, maybe some pinch-hitting should have already happened here? Then again, there are still potential extras. Stott takes a ball, the first of the inning. Stott hits a long fly and becomes the second out of the inning.
Phillies 5-5 Astros, top 8th inning
Rafael Montero is pitching for Houston, Bohm is leading off. There’s been no pinch-hitting so far, we’re around that time in the game where we’re likely to start seeing some. He takes on Bohm in three pitches. That’s efficient.
Good news for Philadelphia:
The team with the first steal in each of the last five World Series -- the team with the "Taco Hero" that is -- has won it all.
— Manny Randhawa (@MannyOnMLB) October 29, 2022
Phillies 5-5 Astros, bottom 7th inning
Álvarez takes ball one. 1-0. Suarez’s next pitch is in for a strike. 1-1. The next pitch is away. 2-1. He sees a lot of pitches away. Not the next one though, as that’s a called strike. 2-2. The next pitch is very close but just outside. 3-2. Suarez strikes him out to end the inning! We’re still tied after seven. Should I just get caffeine now?
Here comes the Big Test yet again: Álvarez is up and that means a pitching change. My notes have it as Ranger Suarez, normally a starter but the Phillies think they can get him a little work in here before his potential start later in the series.
It’s the World Series, you do whatever it takes.
Phillies 5-5 Astros, bottom 7th inning
Peña is up now and he grounds out to first. Well this is going swiftly so far. Two down.
Phillies 5-5 Astros, bottom 7th inning
Eflin faces Altuve, who has been quiet this game and remains quiet as he promptly grounds out.
Seventh inning stretch
I post this clip at least once per World Series. If we end up being tied in the 14th inning, I reserve the right to reuse it.
Phillies 5-5 Astros, top 7th inning
Héctor Neris will be pitching to Nick Castellanos. Just a side note: this is an extremely bad time for any broadcasters to make any serious announcements. Just trust me.
Castellanos takes a ball and then takes a wild, wild, wild swing at a pitch perhaps a bit outside. 1-1. The bases are loaded, did I mention that? That feels like a pertinent detail. On 1-1, Castellanos fouls one away. 1-2. He just barely stays away from the next ball. Somehow. 2-2. He doesn’t the next time around as he strikes out with the bases loaded. There will be no memes after that inning.
Phillies 5-5 Astros, top 7th inning
Two on, two out, Harper on the plate. Man does this feels like a key at-bat, doesn’t it? Abreu throws a fastball that’s out of the zone. 1-0. The next pitch? In the dirt. 2-0. Lots of 2-0 counts in the last few innings. The next pitch is too high. Ball three. 3-0. A walk wouldn’t be the worst possible outcome here, to be honest.
Instead, Abreu just throws a strike that Harper takes. 3-1. The next pitch is also too high and that’s the second-straight walk from Abreu. Here comes head coach Dusty Baker to make a pitching change.
Phillies 5-5 Astros, top 7th inning
The Realmuto Of Philadelphia is up with one on and two out. He swings and misses at a pitch just outside. 0-1. The next pitch, that’s in the dirt. 1-1. The next pitch, Abreu doesn’t get a call on a ball just on the lower corner. 2-1. On the next pitch, Abreu throws a ball and Schwarber dashes to second for a successful stolen base that wins America a free taco.
Who says it’s all bad news here in the States?
It’s a 3-1 count on Realmuto, who takes ball four and sets the table for Bryce Harper, who is hitting next.
Phillies 5-5 Astros, top 7th inning
With Schwarber on first, Abreu faces Hoskins who takes a ball, a strike and a ball. In the meantime, they’re rightfully ruling that Schwarber made it to first on a clean infield single. The next pitch? That’s right in there for a strike. 2-2. On the next pitch, Hoskins extends himself and strikes out swinging.
Phillies 5-5 Astros, top 7th inning
Schwarber is up next. He takes a slider for a strike and then a ball that bounces in front of him. 1-1. He takes another strike looking. 1-2. The next pitch is also in the dirt but doesn’t quite do the bouncing thing. 2-2. He hits the next one right over Abreu’s hand for a chopper that goes as an infield hit in my opinion. The scorer might rule it an error.
Phillies 5-5 Astros, top 7th inning
Abreu is still out there for Houston, pitching to Brandon Marsh (who sounds like he shares a name with a South Park character, but I believe is a real-life human being despite a somewhat cartoonish beard). He hits a towering flyball that’s just an easy out.
Email from David Bertram:
My old boss is a big Philly fan. He’d get a kick out of a shout out to ric if possible. He’s watching in Philly hoping for the best and ignoring my texts. Dave
I imagine that he’s watching, Philly sports fans are very dedicated.
Phillies 5-5 Astros, bottom 6th inning
Maldonado is up next. He takes a ball. And a ball. Another 2-0 start with another Houston hitter. Eflin feels like he’s not quite finding his spots and the Astros aren’t going to give him any help.
Or maybe not. Maldonado grounds out to third and forces the Houston infield to make a nifty play for the out. The Phillies keep the Astros off the board in the sixth. We’re still tied.
Phillies 5-5 Astros, bottom 6th inning
Chas McCormick is here to try to make something happen. At this point, the possibility of extra innings is starting to loom large. Houston has2 already played that 18-inning game, so I have to like their odds if that happens. McCormick takes two straight balls to get ahead 2-0 and then fouls one off. He holds off on the next pitch, also a ball. 3-1. He fouls another off. 3-2. Full count. McCormick takes ball four and that means two are now on for Houston.
Phillies 5-5 Astros, bottom 6th inning
Mancini’s at-bat with Gurriel at first and one out in the inning. Mancini takes a ball that Realmuto can’t quite frame. 1-0. The next pitch is also away. 2-0. Eflin finally gets his sinker in the zone with the next pitch. 2-1. He connects on the next pitch but just skies one straight up that’s caught in foul ground. That’s two out in the inning.
Updated
Phillies 5-5 Astros, bottom 6th inning
Speaking of “out,” so’s Alvarado. In is Zach Eflin, facing Yuli Gurriel. Gurriel takes a ball outside. 1-0. The next pitch is right down the middle for strike two. 1-1. He then hits a chopper, but Gurriel’s throw takes the first baseman just off the base. Still, a good attempt but the result is an Astro baserunner.
Phillies 5-5 Astros, bottom 6th inning
Here comes Alvarado’s toughest challenge: getting Kyle Tucker out. He’s accounted for four of Houston’s five runs. This time around he just hits the first ball he sees into the outfield for an out.
Oh wait, that’s why they call it the “out field.” My mind is blown.
Updated Justin Verlander World Series numbers:
— Molly Knight (@molly_knight) October 29, 2022
8 starts. 0-6. 43 IP 29 ER. 6.07 ERA https://t.co/FlLJoUrBpf
Phillies 5-5 Astros, top 6th inning
Jean Segura is up yet again. It feels like he’s always up. He swings at Abreu’s first two offerings and falls into a 0-2 hole quickly. And make that 0-3. Wow, that’s a 1-2-3 top of the sixth with the Astros getting a chance to untie this in the bottom here.
Phillies 5-5 Astros, top 6th inning
Abreu’s first pitch to Stott, also a ball. The next two pitches are called strikes, so he’s down 1-2 quickly. They weren’t lying about this Houston pen, apparently. The next pitch? That’s called strike three.
Phillies 5-5 Astros, top 6th inning
Bryan Abreu is pitching for Houston which means that Verlander will, officially, not get his first World Series win tonight. Don’t worry, pitching wins are meaningless junk. If the Astros pull of a win here, he’ll be more than happy. Abreu is facing Bohm, who takes a ball. 1-0. He then flies out on the next pitch. That was quick.
Phillies 5-5 Astros, bottom 5th inning
Alex Bregman takes a strike, then swings away. 0-2. The next pitch is a ball, but Alvarado gets him to swing and miss. That was efficient and the Phillies keep it tied. Now they need to score runs and hope that their thin bullpen keeps the Astros off the board.
Nobody ever said winning a World Series game was supposed to be easy.
Phillies 5-5 Astros, bottom 5th inning
Alvarado is here to face the dangerous Álvarez. His first pitch is a ball but Álvarez pops up his second offering so that move has worked out so far.
Email from Richard Woods:
Good morning, Hunter. Here in China I got access to every game in the regular season on my mlb.com subscription, then the post season gets blocked. Thanks, MLB. Actually, to be fair to them, they did unblock the second game of the AL Wild Card series. As a Blue Jays fan, I really wish they hadn’t bothered.
Richard Woods
Not so shockingly, Rob Manfred’s MLB is not making it easy for fans to watch games anywhere.
And Aaron Nola is coming out and my notes say it’s Jose Alvarado coming in. Aggressive bullpen move from Philadelphia, let’s see if it pans out.
Phillies 5-5 Astros, bottom 5th inning
Nola is out for the fifth and, believe it or not, is currently not in line for a loss. Peña takes a ball and then swings out wildly. 1-1. The next pitch is too high. 2-1. Feels like that’s a common count this evening. Another wild swing from Peña. 2-2. And another swing-and-miss here for a leadoff strikeout for Nola.
Phillies 5-5 Astros, top 5th inning
Castellanos is up next. He fouls off a Verlander fastball and then another. 0-2. Astros fans get up to try to will a strikeout here. The next pitch is, however, a ball outside. 1-2. He reaches to stay alive. 1-2. He reaches and does not stay alive. That’s strike three and Verlander gets out of the inning without further damage but the game is tied.
Phillies 5-5 Astros, top 5th inning
We mentioned that Verlander has yet to win a World Series game before, right? Well, he was cruising for his first one until the Phillies did what they’ve been doing all postseason. Bryce Harper is up next with Realmuto on second. He takes a strike and then fouls one often. After taking a ball, he grounds out, getting Realmuto to third but making the inning’s second out.
Game-tying double! (Phillies) Phillies 5-5 Astros
Phillies 5-5 Astros, top 5th inning
J.T. Realmuto “For My Fake Friends, Fakemuto For My Real Friends) is up there and he fouls off his first pitch and then hits a double that scores both runners! It’s a tie game!
Phillies 3-5 Astros, top 5th inning
Hoskins is back up with a chance to really do some damage but instead of he flies one up to centerfield for the first out. That might have just extended Verlander’s outing.
Phillies 3-5 Astros, top 5th inning
Schwarber gets ahead of the count 2-0 before fouling off a Verlander first pitch and then taking strike two. 2-2. The next pitch is high. 3-2. Schwarber fouls the next pitch off. Still a full count. He takes the next pitch and the Phillies now have runners on first and second base with nobody out.
Phillies 3-5 Astros, top 5th inning
The Phillies have kept the Astros off the board. It’s time to see if they can score and Marsh does his best to get things going by hitting a leadoff double off of Verlander.
I love human umpires imo pic.twitter.com/m2Fv6P9ubx
— Bill Baer (@Baer_Bill) October 29, 2022
Phillies 3-5 Astros, bottom 4th inning
Altuve is up once more. He takes a strike. 0-1. And another strike 0-2. A generous zone, this. On the next pitch, Altuve gives the ball a ride but it’s a short one that ends in left field for a flyball out to end the inning. To the fifth!
Phillies 3-5 Astros, bottom 4th inning
Maldonado is up next. He fouls off one and just shortens his swing enough to take a ball. 1-1. The next pitch is also out of the zone and Maldonado doesn’t even attempt to swing. 2-1. He then grounds out to short for the second out of the inning.
Phillies 3-5 Astros, bottom 4th inning
McCormick is back out to face Nola, who is back out there. His first pitch is a ball, as is the second. He gets McCormick to swing and miss on his next two pitches. 2-2. And hey, how about a third straight swing-and-miss for his first out of the inning?
@HunterFelt I hate to say "I told you so", but I did say going wth Nola was a mistake...
— Nicholas Varley (@npvarley) October 29, 2022
Possibly, but the game’s not anywhere close to over. That was a very promising counter-attack by the Phillies bats and now they have to see if Nola can keep the ‘Stros of the board.
Phillies 3-5 Astros, top 4th inning
Jean Segura is up now with two on and still two out. They just have refused to make the final out here and that’s been the reason that Philadelphia have decided that this is going to be a game.
And as I type that, Segura pops out to end the inning. Still, the point stands. The FOX booth goes to break to the tune of the Grateful Dead’s “Shakedown Street” and I approve.
Phillies 3-5 Astros, top 4th inning
Well this says something about the Phillies’ mentality. Meanwhile, Bryson Stott is up with Bohm on second. Verlander gets ahead 1-2 but throws a ball. Then Stott fouls two pitches off. 2-2. Make that three pitches off. Still 2-2. He nearly falls all the way over fouling the next pitch. Verlander’s up to 66 pitches. The next pitch is in the dirt. 3-2. The next pitch? Way too high and Stott has worked a walk. Emphasis on the “work” part.
Two-run double! (Phillies!) Phillies 3-5 Astros
Phillies 3-5 Astros, top 4th inning
And Bohm hits a double, it’s all of a sudden a two-run game! That’s an answer for you!
RBI single! (Phillies) Phillies 1-5 Astros
Phillies 1-5 Astros, top 4th inning
Just bad luck for Philadelphia there as that was just a little too hard-hit to get that runner in from second base completely safely. Castellanos is up next with a chance here, but he quickly fouls off the next two pitches to fall into a 0-2 hole. He just barely holds on to his swing on a slider quite far away from where he could have possibly hit it. On 1-2, Castellanos golfs a base hit that scores Hoskins and sends Harper to second.
Phillies 0-5 Astros, top 4th inning
Runner in scoring position for Bryce Harper, batting with two outs. Harper hits a base hit but Hoskins can’t score from second and has to stay at third base.
Phillies 0-5 Astros, top 4th inning
Verlander gets into a 0-2 count on Realmuto. The heart of the order is up here with Hoskins on base. He hits a comebacker to Verlander who is able to corral the ball and toss it to first for the out. Hoskins makes it to second on the play, however.
Phillies 0-5 Astros, top 4th inning
Hoskins with a base hit. So, no no-no for Justin Verlander this game.
Phillies 0-5 Astros, top 4th inning
This might be a big inning for Philadelphia. Do they start chipping away at the lead or they fold? Schwarber is up next and he’s definitely the team’s best bit to start making things happen. Unfortunately, Verlander is still in the game.
Verlander throws a pitch out of the zone. 1-0. Schwarber swings at the next pitch, makes no contact. 1-1. He gets a strike call on the next pitch and then fouls the next one off. 1-2. The next pitch looks a bit like strike three but gets called a ball. 2-2. On the next pitch Schwarber flies out to center.
Phillies 0-5 Astros, bottom 3rd inning
Mancini is up here. He takes a strike and fouls a ball off. He’s down 0-2, but again the last time Nola got a batter in that count it ended badly for him. Mancini fouls another off, still 0-2. He then grounds out to short. The inning is over but Houston is up big early.
Phillies 0-5 Astros, bottom 3rd inning
So I’m thinking that this is the Kyle Tucker Game unless the Phillies pull off a massive comeback. Meanwhile, this inning continues for Nola, who now has to face Yuli Gurriel. The good news is that the bases are empty? Gurriel takes the first three pitches and comes out ahead 2-1. He then fouls the next pitch off. 2-2. He then grounds out into the infield and that’s finally the second out of the inning.
Three-run home run! (Astros) Phillies 0-5 Astros
Phillies 0-5 Astros, bottom 3rd inning
And here’s Tucker again. He has a chance to be a hometown legend this at-bat. He hits Nola’s first pitch foul and then takes a strike. 0-2. Nola tries to get him to chance with a low ball but there’s no dice. 1-2. He wouldn’t mind a strikeout right here, one imagines. The next pitch is a ball in the dark. Didn’t get it there. 2-2. Tucker breaks his bat on the next pitch, the ball goes foul and out of play. Still 2-2. The next pitch is outside. 3-2. A much tougher at bat than this seemed it would be after Tucker fell 0-2. The payoff pitch.. Tucker hits yet another home run! OH MY GOODNESS!
Updated
Phillies 0-2 Astros, bottom 3rd inning
Alex Bregman is up with a chance to drive in a third run the easy way. He takes Nola’s first pitch as a ball, then does the same with the second. 2-0. Nola’s third pitch in the at-bat is called a strike looking. 2-1. Bregman has yet to swing. Ball three. Still no swing. 3-1. And he doesn’t swing at ball four. It’s now first and third. Still just one out.
Phillies 0-2 Astros, bottom 3rd inning
Álvarez legs out an infield single that lets Peña make it to third. However, the Phillies challenge it and they may be right. It looks like he’s out on replay. And, indeed, he’s out at first but the runner at third remains with just one out.
Phillies 0-2 Astros, bottom 3rd inning
Peña is up again for the Astros in the bottom of the third. Houston have already scored the amount of runs I had them winning in my prediction, so I’ve found myself in the weird position of hoping for absolutely no further baseball action. Nola starts him off with a ball. 1-0. Peña swings and misses and then... tries to bunt himself on? Weird leadoff strategy, but the ball goes foul so no harm, no foul.
Well, okay, so that counts as a strike so there’s a little bit of harm and the ball did go foul so maybe that was the wrong expression.
In any case, He fouls a ball off and then hits a double. The lesson: never bunt.
Phillies 0-2 Astros, top 3rd inning
Brandon Marsh pops up on the first pitch he sees, but it’s out of play so it’s just a strike. 0-1. Marsh has one of those old-timey prospectors’ beards. In fact, this is a bit of a hairy ballclub in general, very much not a dress code like the Yankees. Marsh fouls the next pitch off and then takes strike three. So Verlander faces the minimum through three.
Phillies 0-2 Astros, top 3rd inning
Jean Segura hits a grounder to third and makes quick work of himself, as well.
Phillies 0-2 Astros, top 3rd inning
Bryson Stott is up facing Verlander for the first time with his team now down 0-2. He takes a ball, a strike and then fouls one back to quickly fall into a 1-2 hole. So it’s time for him to start playing the role of the spoiler, spoiling off the next pitch to keep himself alive. The next pitch is far too tall. 2-2. The next one isn’t anywhere Stott can find it. He swings away and gets himself out.
Phillies 0-2 Astros, bottom 2nd inning
Altuve hits into a double play to end the inning, but Houston has an early lead to put the Phillies into an early hole. Exactly what they wanted to avoid.
Run-scoring single! (Astros) Phillies 0-2 Astros
Phillies 0-2 Astros, bottom 2nd inning
Martín Maldonado is up next and should just be looking to avoid a strikeout here. Nola’s first pitch is another called strike. His next, is just out of the bottom of the zone. 1-1. Maldonado takes a wild swing out of a breaking ball that just grazes the bottom of the strike zone. Fantastic pitch, that. 1-2. Maldonado fouls it off, as he does with the next pitch. Still 1-2, with the Houston catcher still trying to extend this battle.
And he does, he hits a grounder that sneaks in for a single. Astros with a two run lead!
Phillies 0-1 Astros, bottom 2nd inning
Chas McCormick is next up. He takes a ball. 0-1. The next pitch, that’s a called strike. On pitch three, McCormick just gets some wood on it and jams a single into rightfield. Gurriel makes it to third on the play, and there is still just one out. He could potentially score on an out.
Phillies 0-1 Astros, bottom 2nd inning
With a runner on first, Mancini has a chance to keep things going with zero outs recorded so far. Nola’s first pitch is a called strike. On 0-1, Mancini takes a ball. 1-1. The next pitch, Mancini fouls it off. 1-2. Nola’s next pitch? Outside. 2-2. He gets Mancini to chase on the next ball, however, for the inning’s first out.
Phillies 0-1 Astros, bottom 2nd inning
Yuli Gurriel is up next and he hits a single to centerfield. Nola might be rattled a bit. Next up, Trey Mancini.
Astros home run! (Phillies 0-1 Astros)
Phillies 0-1 Astros, bottom 2nd inning
Kyle Tucker is up next for the Astros, facing Aaron Nola. Nola’s first pitch is a ball and his second is taken for a strike. On pitch three, Kyle Tucker hits it a long way and he breaks the scoreless tie with a 359 foot home run.
They are now playing Ludacris songs in advertisements to trigger nostalgia. Man I feel old.
Phillies 0-0 Astros, top 2nd inning
Alec Bohm is up next to see if he can get the game’s first hit. He fouls off Verlander’s first pitch. 0-1. The next pitch, he hits it out of play. 0-2. He does the same thing with the next pitch. 0-2, still. He finally hits the next ball fair, but it’s a little dribbler back to the pitcher who takes care of it by flipping it to first for the inning’s third out.
Phillies 0-0 Astros, top 2nd inning
The struggling Nick Castellanos is up next and he continues to struggle, popping up to first.
Phillies 0-0 Astros, top 2nd inning
Bryce Harper leads off the second for Philadelphia. He swings wildly at Verlander’s first pitch. 0-1. The next pitch, same deal. 0-2. Not that he’s normally much less dangerous with two strikes against him. Never mind, he swings at pitch three and that’s about as good as you can handle a hitter like Harper.
Phillies 0-0 Astros, bottom 1st inning
Alex Bregman is up next and he pops out promptly so Nola gets a 1-2-3 inning as well.
Phillies 0-0 Astros, bottom 1st inning
Jeremy Peña also falls behind 0-2. Nola tries to get him to chase a knuckle curve out of the zone, no dice. His next curve is similarly unappetizing. The next pitch is a sinker that’s called for a strike. So that’s two straight ks for Nola, who is getting help from a rather wide strike zone.
Updated
Phillies 0-0 Astros, bottom 1st inning
Aaron Nola is up for the Phillies, pitching to Jose Altuve, leading off for Houston. He gets Altuva in a 0-2 hole immediately. A good start. His next pitch is way outside and Altuve doesn’t chase. Altuve then fouls the next pitch off. 1-2. On the next pitch, he does get Altuve to swing out of the zone for the first out of the half-inning.
Phillies 0-0 Astros, top 1st inning
J.T. Realmuto is up next and the best catcher in the game takes two straight balls. There’s a reason why he’s hitting in the heart of the Phillies lineup. The third pitch is also a ball, if he gets on that’s trouble because that means Bryce Harper. The 3-0 pitch is a strike. As is the 3-1 pitch, at least it’s called on the corner. 3-2. Realmuto pulls it and flies out to end the inning. 1-2-3 inning for Verlander.
Phillies 0-0 Astros, top 1st inning.
Rhys Hoskins flies out on two pitches. Two down in the first for Verlander.
Phillies 0-0 Astros, top 1st inning.
The next pitch is a strike, also taken looking. It’s not until the third pitch that Schwarber swings, fouling off the pitch. He then takes two straight balls before fouling off another offering. However, Verlander’s next pitch is taken right down the middle for strike three.
First pitch!
Phillies 0-0 Astros, top 1st inning.
Justin Verlander throws the first pitch and it’s a strike to Kyle Schwarber.
@HunterFelt I think the Phillies are making a mistake going with Nola in Game 1. Wheeler's been better this postseason and has the extra velocity. Put your best guy out there in Game 1. That's Zack Wheeler.
— Nicholas Varley (@npvarley) October 28, 2022
Possibly but in my opinion, the Phillies are just looking for a split here, so who goes in Game 1 and who goes in Game 2 might not matter in a seven-game series as opposed to, say, a three or five game one.
Updated
The Astros dynasty talk is already on the FOX broadcast. They need at least three World Series titles and honestly, considering the circumstances of their first and only championship so far, that might not be enough to avoid an unspoken asterisk.
Astros starting lineup
1. José Altuve, 2B
2. Jeremy Peña, SS
3. Yordan Álvarez , LF
4. Alex Bregman, 3B
5. Kyle Tucker, RF
6. Yuli Gurriel, 1B
7. Trey Mancini, DH
8. Chas McCormick, CF
9. Martín Maldonado, C
Pitcher: Justin Verlander
Phillies starting lineup
1. Kyle Schwarber, LF
2. Rhys Hoskins, 1B
3. J.T. Realmuto, C
4. Bryce Harper, DH
5. Nick Castellanos, RF
6. Alec Bohm, 3B
7. Bryson Stott, SS
8. Jean Segura, 2B
9. Brandon Marsh, CF
Pitcher: Aaron Nola
Prediction
Well, I already have the Astros winning in five games back during this morning’s predictions, so I guess I’m going with there only being a 1/5th chance of this being a Philadelphia victory so I’m obliged to go with the Astros.
If Philly can win one of these two road games, this suddenly looks like a much longer World Series. My thought is that they would have to do that tomorrow as today Verlander finally picks up his first career World Series win as the Astros win a low-scoring game. Let’s say 2-0. Have differing thoughts? Email them to hunter.felt.freelance@theguardian.com or tweet them to @HunterFelt, we’ll share them here.
How the Astros got here
The Astros had an even easier time than the Phillies. After establishing themselves as the most dangerous team in the American League with their 106-56 regular season record, Houston managed to avoid falling into any trouble like the other 100-win teams this year.
The Astros took off the Wild Card round altogether and faced only a tiny bit of adversity in their NLDS match against the Seattle Mariners. However, it seemed less like the Astros were ever at risk and more like they were playing around with their opponents. They defeated the Mariners in a come-from-behind manner in Game 1 and then closed them out in a Game 3 that lasted eighteen innings.
The Astros gave no such quarter to the New York Yankees, sweeping them in four games. Now, the Astros have played the minimum amount of games in the postseason. The Phillies have the momentum, but given that the last time there was any baseball being played was Sunday, that might not mean much this time around. Meanwhile, the Astros are looking to become the first MLB team with a perfect postseason record.
How the Phillies got here
Well, it wasn’t for their regular season performance. The Phillies went 87-75 in the regular season and just barely snuck into the playoffs via the Wild Card after landing in third place in the NL East. However, the team was a different team heading into the postseason, having found a new identity under interim manager Rob Thomson while riding Bryce Harper’s hot bat.
So far, the Phillies defeated the St Louis Cardinals in two games in their Wild Card series. They then beat the Atlanta Braves in four games in the NLDS and wiped out the San Diego Padres in five games NLCS. It’s been an impressive run, it’s just that their opponents have been slightly more successful.
The Astros vs the Phillies
So now is the time when we ask: which team deserves it more?
Well, believe it or not, the Astros, despite their recent success, have only one World Series win to their name (in 2017) in contrast to the Phillies, who have won two (in 1980 and 2008). That one World Series win was considered somewhat tainted, given that it occurred while the team had a system in place that was based around the team illegally stealing signs.
It’s partly because the Astros have won the AL pennant three times since winning that disputed title that they have emerged as a juggernaut. They won’t have many non-local fans cheering for them now.
It won’t help that the Phillies are historical underdogs (although the “lovable loser” tag is not one that fans ever embraced). Considering that the Phillies were established in 1883, well before the first World Series was played in 1903 (in comparison, the Astros were formed in 1962 as the Houston Colt. 45s). Until their first series win in 1980, the Phillies were considered a perennial failure in MLB. While, say, Mets fans probably are not going to root for their rivals, it’s easy to understand why they might be sentimental favorites.
Updated
Where to watch Game 1 of the World Series
First things first. Where exactly do you want to watch tonight’s World Series Game 1?
In the US, it’s relatively simple, you can watch live on FOX and also listen on your local ESPN Radio affiliate or, barring that, ESPNradio.com. The start time, again, is 8:03 pm EST.
In the UK, you can screen it on BT Sports starting at 1:03 BST and, online, through the BT Sports app. I’m sure there are other ways of going about it, but I am going to keep away from any ethical grey area here.
Preamble
So much for making predictions. When trying to guess the fate of the various teams before this year’s MLB playoffs, this writer listed the Philadelphia Phillies as being the eleventh-ranked team out of twelve, just above the swiftly booted Tampa Bay Rays. Here’s what I wrote about their chances:
They might have the worst defense of all the remaining postseason teams and are limping into the playoffs. Plus they have a lot of uncertainty in their bullpen so everything needs to go right for Philadelphia for them to make a deep run.
Well, guess what: everything has gone perfectly right for the Phillies, they didn’t even need an opening round bye to improbably make their way to the World Series. Now, of course, they are facing their ultimate test, going against the heavily favored Houston Astros: the team that everybody was expecting to be here.
The best team in the American League made a relatively easy go-around in the postseason. The Astros haven’t lost a game and even when they’ve gotten into trouble, the outcome really hasn’t felt all that much in danger.
For tonight’s crucial Game 1, tonight we have future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander on the mound for the Astros, the Guardian’s Daniel Levitt wrote about him earlier in this season. Meanwhile, while, ace Aaron Nola will be on the mound for the Phillies. That suggests that we’ll be in for a pitcher’s duel this time around, although these playoffs have been going out of their way to defy expectations.
If you want to join in the discussion, contact us and we’ll be including your thoughts along the way. You can email us (to hunter.felt.freelance@theguardian.com) or send a Tweet (if Elon Musk hasn’t driven you off the site, you can send those to @HunterFelt) and we’ll reproduce it in these spaces.
It’s Game 1 of the World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies against the Houston Astros at Houston’s Minute Maid Park. The game is scheduled to start at 8:03 pm EST but I suspect that the networks won’t let it start for a few minutes afterward. We will be back before then to fill out some backstory about how both of these teams made it this far.
Hunter will be here shortly. In the meantime here are our writers’ predictions for this year’s Fall Classic.
