Thursday night, the Houston Astros defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 to take a 3-2 lead in the World Series. Justin Verlander overcame an early setback to earn his first World Series victory in a long time, and rookie Jeremy Pena hit the game-winning home run.
Trey Mancini and Chas McCormick’s late defensive brilliance propelled the Astros to the verge of their second championship; their first was a scandal-tainted title in 2017.
Pena’s run-scoring single gave Houston the lead against Noah Syndergaard after only four pitches. Then, Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber began the bottom half with a home drive, recalling the five-run lead Verlander squandered in Houston’s opening 6-5, 10-inning loss.
Pena had three hits, including a run-scoring single in the first inning and a run-scoring single in the eighth inning that set up Yordan Alvarez’s run-scoring groundout. He thwarted the Phillies with a leaping catch at shortstop in the third inning, then reclaimed the lead with his fourth postseason home run in the fourth. He is the only rookie shortstop to have hit a home run in the World Series.
In the eighth inning, following Jean Segura’s RBI single with one out off Rafael Montero, Ryan Pressly escaped a first-and-third jam by striking out Brandon Marsh and Kyle Schwarber on a nearly 100 mph one-hopper that Mancini caught over first base. After 2021 Gold Glove winner Yuli Gurriel collided during a rundown, the backup first baseman pinch-hit in the top half of the game. Mancini fell into the foul zone and retreated to touch the bag with his left foot.
Pressly made a save with five outs remaining. For the second out of the ninth inning, McCormick made a diving backhand catch against the chain-link fence in right-center on JT Realmuto. After Bryce Harper was hit by a pitch, Nick Castellanos grounded out to end the 3-hour-and-fifty-seven-minute suspense.
