World Series Game 2 — Houston v Atlanta
Jose Urquidy strikes out 7, goes 5 strong and gets the win as the Astros level the World Series at 1–1.
Jose Urquidy strikes out 7, goes 5 strong and gets the win as the Astros level the World Series at 1–1.
The above was cast in stone hours before first pitch as this eagerly excited and 14 year old kid stuck in a baseball time warp counted down the hours to 1.08am (and probably nearer 1.15am) for the start of Game 2 of the World Series. I also cast in stone here and now that if Fried pitches 5/6 minimally scoring innings, his Braves are likely to take a two game advantage and that to prevent this the Astros need a strong outing from Jose Urquidy. I’m trying to talk up a “pitchers duel” whereby the slingers of the fast ball as well as the deftness and slight of hand of the “change up” dominate a low scoring game heading towards the 7th Inning Stretch and then, well, anything can happen, and often does in the glorious game of baseball.
Especially in October.
Cast in stone or not, it wasn’t quite a night of duelling starting pitchers but both Ace’s went at least 5 innings and by the half time oranges in the middle of the 5th Inning last night’s score line at the halfway mark of 5–1 in favour of the Braves had been reversed by their hosts, the Astros of Houston. The slugging bats of Game One were finally ignited here, they played “small ball” too, kept the line moving with runners on base and the sluggers got hits and got the runs home as Houston raced to a 5–2 mid game advantage behind a strong start from Jose Urquidy who gave up two runs in five unexpectedly strong innings whilst blowing away 7 batters with his crisp fastball or deceptive “slider” in the process. Fried sat down ten batters in a row and collected six strikeouts in a sparkling mid performance spell but his 2nd inning woes will make the headlines in an otherwise strong start for the Braves. In the 2nd, Fried gave up hits to Tucker (after a 2 hit night last night), Gurriel and Jose Siri, and where the Astros failed last night they succeeded early tonight as an out form and struggling Maldonado also got a base hit off Fried and with the bats warming up and the “line moving”, batters got the runners home as brilliantly demonstrated by Jose Siri as he gleefully rejoiced diving headfirst for home to give his team a 5–2 half way lead, and a complete role reversal of last night was in process.
Houston increased their lead to 6–2 in the bottom of a frenetic sixth inning containing strikeouts, pitching changes, errors, double stolen bases, hits and, with two runners on base, a missed opportunity to bust Game 2 wide open and at “6 Full” (6 completed innings), the Astros had a four run lead and fully reversed last night’s score line defeat. After the mid inning stretch, Jose Altuve, a warming bat after a double in the first inning, crushed Braves relief pitcher Drew Smyly for a beautiful home run tight down the 3rd base line to increase the Astros lead to 7–2. Smyly then gave up a hit to Brantley, walked the dangerous Alvarez as well as the bare handed Kyle Tucker (having the World Series of his life so far) for a bases loaded and stressful end to the inning. Smyly escaped with a final out strikeout and the Astros had blown yet another opportunity to blow the game wide open and in effect end it as a contest.
By the top of the 8th Inning the Astros led 7–2 and it could and should have been more, but it mattered not as pitching brilliantly brought Game 2 of the World Series to a close, which rather pleased this irascible fan of the hurler of the ball rather than the slugger of the bat! Ryan Pressley, the brilliant oft “closing pitcher” for the Astros gave up 1 hit in the top of the 8th but 2 strikeouts ensured a clean inning before Kyle Wright (who I haven’t seen a great deal of and feign ignorance) beautifully struck out the Astros in order. One of my many reasons for being a baseball fan is just such an inning, three batters up, three sent back to their seats having been bamboozled by the pitcher. I always imagine the pitcher shouting “Go Sit Down!” after every strike out, but that’s just me. It’s the “game within a game” scenario that’s always appealed to me as similar to my equivalent of Summer sport here in the UK is cricket and there you have the equivalency: The Hurler. The Batter. The individual game within a much larger whole. I was a gruff fast bowler in my prime cricketing days so I’ve always been a fan of the punchy, sparky, muttering to himself closing pitcher as he fizzes a 98mph fastball high and tight at a batter for a strikeout. Mumbling. Grumbling. Angrily punching the air at another glorious strikeout!
In the top of the 9th inning the Astros turned to Kendall Graveman to close out the game, and this he did. But not before a mini battle with the brilliant Braves catcher Travis d’Arnaud who’d had a 2 hit night so far with the bat and the scorer of both of his team’s collective runs. Graveman won the battle, sat down all three batters faced and closed out the win for the Astros, 7–2.
I predicted/hoped for a pitchers duel but instead we had a kind of stand off.
I wrote in yesterday’s blog on Game One that the Astros needed their big guns to blaze. Tonight, only Bregman and Alvarez failed to get a hit.
I also wrote yesterday that I hoped this series would go all the way, to the biggest dance of all, and a 3–3 series tied game 7 decider. At 1–1 in a very even series, we could indeed get the ultimate October baseball as fans we yearn for. Game Seven is scheduled, if required, for the first week of November, so perhaps it’s written in the baseball stars that we’ll have our very first “Mr November” to remember? I’m sticking with my prediction of the Astros in 6 games with a 4–2 series win, but I’m rather hoping it goes the distance.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this brief fan appraisal and human centric reaction rather than a statistics heavy dirge. If so, you might also enjoy my blog on Game One below:
World Series Game 1 — Astros v Braves
The Visiting Braves follow their tried and trusted method, win 6–2 and perhaps set a precedent for this years “Big…medium.com