Astros' Bregman breaks postseason slump with 2-run homer
HOUSTON—The ch ants of" M-V-P !, M-V-P !" still break out from the crowd each time Alex B reg man 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 — a former Midwest City star — 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.
Nationals name Game 3 starter
Right-hander Aníb al Sánchez 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.
Sánchezh as allowed one run in 12 2/3 innings in two postseason starts. He had 7 2/3 scoreless innings against St. Louis in Game 1 of the NL Championship Series on Oct. 11.
Corbin was the winning pitcher in the
pennant-clinching 7-4 win over t he Cardinals on Oct. 15, when he gave up all four runs in five innings.
Zack Greinke is Houston's starter for Game 3.
Biles adds special twist to her ceremonial first 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 t he Houston area, won five gold medal sat the recent world championships and holds the record with 25 medals by any gymnast, male or female.
MLB to look into umpire tweet referencing gun, Trump critics
Commissioner Rob Man fred says Major League Baseball will look into a politicized tweet by umpire Rob Drake that referenced a rifle and criticism of President Donald Trump.
Drake posted this message to Twitter on Tuesday :" I will be buying an AR -15 tomorrow, because if you impeach MY PRESIDENT this way, YOU WILL HAVE ANOTHER CIVAL WAR!!! #MAGA2020"
The tweet has since been deleted.
Man fred spoke at Minute Maid Park on Wednesday night before Game 2 of the World Series between the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals.
Drake, 50, has worked spring training or regular-season major league games since 1999 and joined the big league staff in 2010. Drake was not assigned to work the postseason this year.