For a team that's been as dominant as the Astros have been at Minute Maid Park through the years, they've been about as comfortable at home in the World Series as your in-laws' place at Thanksgiving. After blowing a five-run lead to the Phillies in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday night, the Astros dropped to 3-10 all-time at home in the World Series, including seven losses in their past eight Fall Classic games, during which they were outscored by 26 runs (51-25). After beating the Dodgers, 13-12, in 10 innings in an unforgettable Game 5 of the 2017 World Series, the Astros have won just once at home. |
Houston dropped all four games at home in the 2019 Series -- the only seven-game playoff series in history in which the home team lost every game -- and went 1-2 at home last year in the Fall Classic against the Braves. Unless they can break their home curse in Game 2 on Saturday, with Framber Valdez on the mound, the Astros might not get another game at Minute Maid Park this year. "They're a great ballclub," Astros third baseman Alex Bregman said. "They keep fighting, just like we do. They won tonight. We turn the page and move on to tomorrow, keep going." The Astros' 280 wins at home since the start of the 2017 season trail only the Dodgers (297) and the Yankees (286). |
WORLD SERIES GAME 2 GUIDE |
Game 2, which will air on FOX at 7 p.m. CT, is scheduled for Saturday. All games are available in the U.S. on MLB.TV (authentication to a participating Pay TV provider is required). Live games are also available in select countries outside the U.S. For full details, click here. Probable starters Phillies: RHP Zack Wheeler Astros: LHP Framber Valdez Projected lineups |
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. Jean Segura, 2B
8. Matt Vierling, CF
9. Edmundo Sosa, SS |
1. Jose Altuve, 2B
2. Jeremy Peña, SS
3. Yordan Alvarez, LF
4. Alex Bregman, 3B
5. Kyle Tucker, RF
6. Yuli Gurriel, 1B
7. Aledmys Díaz, DH
8. Chas McCormick, CF
9. Martín Maldonado, C More information on Game 2 can be found here. |
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Phillies: Manager Rob Thomson thought about moving up Harper from cleanup to third in the Phillies' lineup, but after consulting with his coaches and hitters, he decided to keep the lineup that got them through the first three rounds of the postseason. Expect Vierling to replace Brandon Marsh and Sosa to replace Bryson Stott against Valdez. Astros: It's getting hard to justify Trey Mancini starting at designated hitter considering his struggles since coming to the Astros. He's 0-for-16 in the playoffs with six strikeouts, though he's one of the few Houston players to have faced Wheeler (he's 1-for-4). Still, expect someone else, likely Díaz, to get the start at DH in Game 2. |
Phillies: Wheeler (1-1, 1.78 ERA) starts Game 2. His 0.51 WHIP is the lowest in any four-start span in a single postseason in MLB history. Curt Schilling is second with a 0.62 WHIP over a four-start span with the D-backs in 2001, when they won the World Series. Wheeler got hit by a line drive on the inside of his left knee on Sunday in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series. The knee is still sore, but Wheeler said he is fine and will not be affected by it Saturday night.
Astros: Valdez (1-0, 1.42 ERA) starts Game 2. Valdez started Game 2 of the American League Division Series against the Mariners and Game 2 of the AL Championship Series against the Yankees. In the ALDS, he held Seattle to two runs and four hits across 5 2/3 innings. In Game 2 of the ALCS, he threw seven innings and allowed just two unearned runs to New York. He was 17-6 with a 2.82 ERA in the regular season, capping it with five scoreless innings against the Phillies in the final game on Oct. 5.
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Phillies: Despite Thomson going to his bullpen in the fifth inning in Game 1, he should have most of his relievers available in Game 2. Maybe everybody. Right-hander Seranthony Domínguez threw 24 pitches in 1 2/3 innings. David Robertson threw 25 in the 10th. Alvarado threw only seven pitches in one inning. Zach Eflin threw 20 in 1 1/3 innings. It helps that Wheeler is on the mound. The Phils hope he can get through six or seven innings, lessening the strain on the 'pen. Astros: With Justin Verlander lasting only five innings in Game 1, the Astros used six relievers on Friday to cover five frames. The only reliever who threw more than 16 pitches was Bryan Abreu (32), so he could be down for Game 2. Other than that, Astros manager Dusty Baker should have his entire bullpen ready to back Valdez. |
Phillies: Realmuto went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, a walk and three RBIs in his World Series debut. … Castellanos and Bohm are a combined .400 (10-for-25) with runners in scoring position this postseason. … Harper went 2-for-4 with a walk in Game 1. He is batting .426 (20-for-47) with six doubles, five home runs, 11 RBIs and a 1.332 OPS in the playoffs. Astros: Gurriel (13-for-34), Bregman (11-for-34), Peña (11-for-38), Tucker (9-for-33) and McCormick (6-for-23) have been carrying Houston's offense in the postseason and have combined for 12 of the team's 14 playoff homers. … Altuve (4-for-37) and Mancini (0-for-16) remain in playoff slumps. |
• The Astros and Phillies have played five consecutive extra-inning games in the postseason (the final four games of the 1980 NLCS between the clubs each went to extras). • Tucker has eight career postseason homers, tying him with Carlos Beltrán and Gurriel for fifth most in Astros history. • Gurriel has 83 postseason hits, the second most in Astros history behind Altuve (95). He's collected at least two hits in four of eight playoff games this year. |
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