Dodgers down Astros to keep World Series bid alive
LOS ANGELES: The Los Angeles Dodgers rallied for a 3- 1 victory over Justin Verlander and the Houston Astros on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) to force a game seven showdown for the 2017 World Series.
With Astros starting pitcher Verthe Dodgers ahead for good in the sixth inning and Joc Pederinnings, it looked for a time as if son added a solo homer in the that might be enough. seventh as the Dodgers knotted Major League Baseball’s best-ofthrough against the Astros ace with seven championship series at three two runs in the sixth. games apiece. Austin Barnes led off the bottom
The Dodgers host game seven of the frame with a single. on Wednesday, seeking a seventh Chase Utley, part of a double substitution by Dodgers manager he was hit by a Verlander pitch.
“I’m sure it’s going to be a That brought Taylor to the plate with no outs and two on. Taylor’s Chris Taylor. “Two teams that re ally want it.” scored Barnes to tie the game with
George Springer’s solo home two runners in scoring position run off Dodgers starting pitcher and still no outs. Rich Hill in the third inning staked “I was just focused on staying short the Astros to a 1-0 lead.
It was Springer’s fourth homer play,” Taylor said. “(Verlander’s) got of the series and the 14th for the electric stuff. That fastball up and Astros— tying the World Series really good slider. So I wanted to be record set by the San Francisco as short as possible, not try to do too Giants in 2002. much or overswing.”
it might be headed for the left
It was caught at the track but gave Utley plenty of time to race home and give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead.
The Astros threatened in the top of the seventh against Dodgers relief pitcher Tony Watson, but left runners on base for the third straight inning.
seventh inning, we had pressure on them and they just made pitches or made plays,” said Astros manager A.J. Hinch. “Obviously small margin here in this game and these two teams.”
Pederson homers
The Dodgers extended the lead to 3-1 on Pederson’s one-out homer off relief pitcher Joe Musgrove in the seventh.
It was Pederson’s third homer of the Series and his fourth of these playoffs.
Closing pitcher Kenley Jansen came on in the top of the eighth and retired the Carlos Correa, Yuli Gurriel and Brian McCann on seven pitches— Gurriel continuing to draw deafening boos from Dodgers fans angered by his racist gesture toward Los Angeles’ Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish in game three.
Jansen set down three straight in the ninth to end it.
Houston will have to regroup before sending Lance McCullers to the mound against Darvish on Wednesday.
Swept in their only prior World Series appearance in 2005, the Astros came into game six bullish about their chances with Verlander on hill.
The former Cy Young awardwinner who arrived in a trade from the Detroit Tigers on August 31, had been 4-0 in four prior postseason starts for the Astros.
He ran into trouble in the second inning, needing 23 pitches to work around a one-out single by Yasiel Puig.
“I thought he was good, especially early,” Hinch said of Verlander, who retired 11 straight batters after allowing a one-out single to Yasiel Puig in the second inning, striking out nine and giving up two runs in his six innings.
“He had the one hiccup in the middle of the game, but that was about it.”