World Series notebook

Bregman breaks slump with homer

HOUSTON — The chants of “M-V-P!, M-V-P!” still break out from the crowd each time Alex Bregman comes to the plate at home for the Houston Astros.

And the cheers got louder when Bregman hit a towering two-run homer in the first inning of Game 2 of the World Series on Wednesday night.

Going into the game, the third baseman was 3 for 22 (.136) with one RBI since the start of the AL Championship Series. He struck out three times while going 0 for 4 with a walk in Game 1 of the World Series, including two strikeouts with runners on base in a 5-4 loss to Washington.

“It’s rare to see him kind of mentally frustrated, but yet if anyone is equipped to figure it out, it’s Alex Bregman,” manager AJ Hinch said before Game 2.

Bregman has continued to get on base, with seven walks in six ALCS games against the New York Yankees, but he had only one extra-base hit in that span. He hit .296 with 41 homers and 112 RBIs in the regular season.

“He’s incredibly accountable to himself and he takes a lot of responsibility for our club, for our offense,” Hinch said. “He’s Alex Bregman, he wants to be perfect, he has high standards for himself.”

Nats Game 3 starter

Right-hander Aníbal Sanchez will start Game 3 on Friday night when the Nationals play their first World Series home game.

Washington manager Dave Martinez isn’t saying yet if Patrick Corbin, who was 14-7 in the regular season, will be the Game 4 starter on Saturday night. Corbin threw a scoreless inning in Game 1, his fourth relief appearance this postseason.

“I talked to Corbin a little bit. He’s going to go throw today and we’ll see how he feels after he plays catch,” Martinez said before Game 2. “These guys, they’re all in. And this is based on a conversation I have with them every day.”

Sanchez has allowed one run in 122/3 innings in two postseason starts. He had 72/3 scoreless innings against St. Louis in Game 1 of the NL Championship Series on Oct. 11.

Corbin was the winning pitcher in the pennantclinching 7-4 win over the Cardinals on Oct. 15, when he gave up all four runs in five innings.

Zack Greinke is Houston’s starter for Game 3.

A flip to pitch

That was quite a setup and delivery for Simone Biles before Game 2 of the World Series.

The Olympic champion gymnast did a backflip with a twist, and stuck the landing before someone tossed her a baseball. She then threw the ceremonial first pitch to Astros outfielder Jake Marisnick.

Biles, who grew up in the Houston area, won five gold medals at the recent world championships and holds the record with 25 medals by any gymnast, male or female. She will try to add to her five Olympic medals during the Tokyo Games next summer.