Dodgers rally, pull even on Bellinger’s ‘miracle’
HOUSTON — Cody Bellinger pulled into second base with his first World Series hit and said: “It’s a miracle!”
With the Dodgers three innings from falling into a deep deficit, the rookie slugger sparked a late comeback that stopped the Houston Astros’ surge.
Hitless in 13 at-bats, Bellinger doubled and scored the tying run in the seventh inning, then doubled home the go-ahead run off struggling closer Ken Giles in a five-run
ninth that lifted Los Angeles to a 6-2 victory Saturday night and tied the Series at two games apiece.
“Relief, for sure,” Bellinger said. “I think everyone knows I was struggling.”
George Springer put the Astros ahead with a two-out home run in the sixth, the first hit off Los Angeles starter Alex Wood. The crowd at Minute Maid Park, where the Astros had been 7-0 this postseason, was revved up in anticipation of the Astros having a chance to win the first title in their 56-season history on Sunday.
Instead, the Series will go back to Los Angeles no matter what. Clayton Kershaw starts Game 5 for the Dodgers tonight and Dallas Keuchel (Arkansas Razorbacks) for the Astros in a rematch of the
opener, when Kershaw pitched Los Angeles to a 3-1 victory.
Bellinger, a 22-year-old bopper who set a National League rookie record with 39 home runs this season, struck out four times in Game 3 and once more in the fifth inning — his eighth whiff of the Series.
But he doubled over left fielder Marwin Gonzalez, chasing starter Charlie Morton, and came home on former Arkansas Razorback Logan Forsythe’s two-out single off Will Harris.
Giles entered to start the ninth and got into immediate trouble, allowing a leadoff single to Corey Seager and a walk to Justin Turner. Bellinger took a low slider, then lined a fastball at the letters to left-center.
Joe Musgrove relieved and allowed Austin Barnes’ sacrifice fly and Joc Pederson’s three-run home run.
Wood, Brandon Morrow, winner Tony Watson and Kenley Jansen combined on a two-hitter. Jansen allowed Alex Bregman’s two-out home run in the ninth.
Giles, the loser, was charged with three runs. He has an 11.75 postseason ERA, allowing runs in six of seven appearances.
“When you’re a backend reliever,” Astros Manager A.J. Hinch said, “unless you’re extraordinarily dominant, you’re only talked about when you suffer, when you struggle. So for him, he can handle it mentally. He can handle it physically.”
Houston was nine outs from winning for the 18th time in 20 home games since returning to Minute Maid Park after Hurricane Harvey, and from becoming the first major league team to start a postseason 8-0 at home.
But the Dodgers tied the score in the seventh. Bellinger pointed skyward when reaching second standing up on his opposite-field hit. He clapped both hands above his head, said “It’s a miracle!” and pointed for the ball to be saved.
Before Saturday’s game, Major League Baseball suspended Houston Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel for the first five games next season. The punishment came a day after Gurriel’s actions toward Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yu Darvish during Game 3.
Gurriel will have to sit out for making a racist gesture toward Yu Darvish.
The Cuban-born Gurriel pulled on the corners of his eyes after homering off Darvish during Houston’s 5-3 victory Friday night. He also used a derogatory Spanish term in reference to Darvish, who was born in Japan.