PEDERSON, TAYLOR PROPEL DODGERS TO GAME 7 TONIGHT
L. A. finally breaks through in 6th against Verlander, whohas0- 4careermarkinSeries
LOS ANGELES — Joc Pederson sliced a drive over the left- field wall, pounded his chest and danced around the bases, taking as many twists and turns as this World Series itself. Of course, the Dodgers forced the Astros to Game 7.
Chris Taylor hit a tying double off ff Justin Verlander during a two- run rally in the sixth inning, Corey Seager Seawed followed with a go- ahead sacrifice fly and the Dodgers Dodghe beat the Astros 3- 1 on Tuesday ay night to push this dramatic Fall Classic sic to the ultimate game.
Verlander der has 11 postseason on wins but dropped pped to 0- 4 in the e Series with the Tigers and Astros. Pederson homered in the seventh against Joe Musgrove, connecting off the right- hander for the second time in three games to make it a record 24 long balls hit in this Series. Pederson pranced all the way to the plate, pointing at the Dodgers’ g dugout g and rubbing his thumbs and a index fingers gers togethe together to indicate what a money mone shot it was. Mired in a major slump earlier this season, Pederson erson was demoted to the t minors — and teammates began be offering to pay him for opposite- o field home runs in an effort to get himh to hit the ball ba the other way. “I kind of black out i in a situation like that,” said Pederson, Peders who has three h homers in the Series. “I’m going to have to rewatch it to see wha what I did.” Yu Darvish D starts Wednes Wednesday for the Dodgers Dodgers, trying to win theirthei first Series
since 1988, and Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw will be ready in the bullpen. Lance McCullers goes for the Astros in the first World Series Game 7 at Dodger Stadium.
“It’s only fitting,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
Darvish was chased in the second inning of Game 3, when McCullers pitched Houston to a 5- 3 victory.
“Two incredible teams trying to get to the finish line,” Astros manager A. J. Hinch said.
Two nights after a 13- 12, 10- inning slugfest under the roof at MinuteMaid Park, pitching dominated.
George Springer’s third- inning home run against starter Rich Hill had given a 1- 0 lead to Verlander and the Astros, trying for the first championship in their 56- season history. On Halloween night, a championship for a team with orange in its colors seemed appropriate.
But it served only to set up the 10th blown lead of the Series, the fifth by Houston, as Verlander fell to 9- 1 with the Astros.
Dodgers relievers combined for 4„ scoreless innings. Brandon Morrow retired Alex Bregman on a grounder to strand the bases loaded in the fifth, winner Tony Watson got Marwin Gonzalez to fly out with two on and two outs in the sixth, and Kenta Maeda escaped two- on trouble in the seventh when third baseman Justin Turner gloved Jose Altuve’s grounder and threw a one- hop throw that first baseman Cody Bellinger scooped just in time.
After wasting a ninth- inning lead in Game 2 and losing Game 5, Kenley Jansen retired six consecutive batters for the save and finished by striking out 40- year- old pinch hitter Carlos Beltran.
This will be the thirdWorld Series Game 7 in four years. Ten of the last 12 teams that won Game 6 to force a seventh game also won the title, but the Dodgers lost the previous sixWorld Series in which they trailed 3- 2. They have won only one of their six championships at home, in 1963.
Yuli Gurriel, who made a racist gesture toward Darvish in Game 3, was booed loudly during introductions and each time he batted.
Verlander, the 2011 American League MVP and Cy Young Award winner, allowed only one baserunner before Austin Barnes singled leading off the sixth. Verlander bounced a pitch that hit Chase Utley on the front of his right foot, and Taylor sent a 97 mph fastball down the right- field line as Barnes came home. Seager followed with a sacrifice fly to the right- field warning track.