Jenny Dial Creech
Astros’ first World Series win doesn’t happen if Marwin Gonzalez doesn’t take Kenley Jansen deep in 9th to tie it
Ex-Dodger Josh Reddick getting an earful.
LOS ANGELES — When it seemed like it might be over, Marwin Gonzalez did what he has done best for the Astros all year: He gave his team exactly what it needed.
On Wednesday night, in a pivotal Game 2 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium, Gonzalez hit a home run in the ninth inning that changed the game.
After the ball sailed over the left-field fence, silencing more than 54,000 fans packing the stadium on another socrching night in L.A., Gonzalez dropped his bat and pointed to the “Houston strong” patch on his chest.
He’d just tied the game and given the Astros life.
His teammates ran out of the dugout to greet him. They were as fired up as they’ve been in the World Series.
After the ninth thanks to Gonzalez, the game was far from over. More innings would be played. More drama would be had. All thanks to the clutch hit from Gonzalez off uber reliever Kenley Jansen, who had blown only one save this entire season.
“He lefted our spirits up,” Carlos Correa said. “We were one run down. He changed the momentum of the game. That’s when we were like, ‘Let’s go. Let’s do this.’ ”
The Astros would go on to win 7-6 — the first World Series victory in franchise history — thanks to back-to-back 10thinning home runs from Jose Altuve and Correa and George Springer’s two-run homer in the 11th.
The intense finish and exciting win started, as it often has this season, with a spark.
And it hasn’t been rare for that jolt to come courtesy of Gonzalez.
He’s a guy whom the Astros look to when they need something to happen. And on the biggest stage in baseball, he lived up to the lofty expectations.
Shirt says it all
It’s not rare to see the navy blue T-shirt in the Astros clubhouse after games. Several of the players wear it frequently. Across the chest, emblazoned in bright orange, it reads “MarWIN.”
The shirt, and the frequency with which it’s worn, speaks volumes to how his teammates feel about him.
He’s a winner. And he will be whatever the Astros need him to be to make that happen.
“You know that good things will happen when you have Marwin out there,” Correa said. “He can do so many things, and he does them for us. He’s been so good and so consistent all year no matter what position he’s playing or where he is in the lineup.”
Gonzalez has been the definition of “utility player” for these Astros. He’s played all four infield positions this year. He also has played at right and left field.
Manager A.J. Hinch called him “the answer in one person” earlier this week, and it’s easy to see why.
“He’s carried us in a lot of different portions of the season, offensively and defensively,” Hinch said. “If I wanted to give Altuve a day off during the season, he can play second. Short for Correa, third for (Alex) Bregman, first for Yuli (Gurriel),” he continued. “It’s like having multiple players in one. And not just that he can do it, he can do it well.
“There’s not a lot of offensive slippage, there’s no defensive slippage and there’s no gap in performance. As a manager, he’s a winning player.”
Gonzalez led the Astros with 90 RBIs this season but hasn’t made as big an offensive contribution this postseason. Until the hit of his life Wednesday night, he hadn’t driven in a run since Game 1 of the ALDS.
Cool customer
But his defense has been unstoppable. He’s made several stellar plays in left field that have saved hits. The most memorable during the playoffs might have been his throw from left field to home in Game 1 of the ALCS to save a run.
Later that night, he welcomed his third child.
He’s as cool and collected as they come. His presence has a calming effect, teammates say.
“You want a guy like him on your team,” Brian McCann said. “He can do a little bit of everything, and he somehow ends up being the guy who makes big things happen for us a lot.” He certainly did in Game 2. “He has a flair for the dramatic,” Correa said. “He’s just unbelievable. That home run made all the difference for us tonight.”
The Astros were in danger of leaving L.A. in an 0-2 hole. Bbecause of Gonzalez’s big blast, they head home to play three games at Minute Maid with the series tied 1-1.
And they’ll have MarWIN ready to come through again.