Houston

Dodgers Face Elimination After Heartbreaking Loss to Astros, 13-12, in Game 5 of World Series

Yuli Gurriel, Jose Altuve, George Springer, Carlos Correa, and Brian McCann all homered as the Houston Astros rallied from not one, but three different deficits to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 13-12, in Game 5 of the World Series on Sunday.

Houston, the eagle has landed.

Yuli Gurriel, Jose Altuve, George Springer, Carlos Correa, and Brian McCann all homered as the Houston Astros rallied from not one, but three different deficits to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 13-12, in Game 5 of the World Series on Sunday. 

In the final game of the season at Minute Maid Park, the Astros and Dodgers put on a home run derby for the fans as they stood toe-to-toe, trading blows, in what will go down in history as arguably the greatest World Series game of all-time.

In what should have been a low-scoring matchup of two Cy Young Award winners, was instead a heavyweight fight, as both teams came out slugging, with the prospect of facing elimination in Game 6 looming like a spider above its web.

"These are hard-fought games," said Astros' manager A.J. Hinch after the victory. "These are just two really good teams, just throwing haymakers at each another trying to outlast each other."

In what now feels like a distant memory, the game began deep in the heart of Texas, when Dallas Keuchel was as wild as a steed on Sunday, as he walked two of the first batters he faced to load the bases in the first inning.

Logan Forsythe delivered the first blow for the Dodgers as he hit a two-run single to left field to give the Dodgers an early 2-0 lead. 

Four pitches later, Forsythe was caught in a rundown, but first baseman Yuli Gurriel threw wide of second base, allowing Forsythe to slide in safely and Hernandez scored from third to open up a 3-0 lead.

Austin Barnes added a run in the top of the fourth, and chased Keuchel in the process, as he hit an RBI single to right field that scored Forsythe. 

In likely his last start of the 2017 postseason, Kechuel failed to get out of the fourth inning, allowing four runs (three earned), on five hits, with two walks and four strikeouts in 3 and 2/3 innings. 

However, just as it appeared Houston was dead on arrival, the game turned on a dime, as Kershaw served up a slider to Gurriel for the game-tying three-run home run. 

After the home run, Kershaw became the first pitcher in postseason history to allow eight home runs in a single postseason.

Knocked down, but not out, the Dodgers responded with a three-run blast of their own off the bat of rookie Cody Bellinger.

Bellinger crushed a 2-2 curveball from Collin McHugh just over the wall in right-center for his third home run of the postseason as he became the youngest player (22 years, 108 days), to homer in the World Series in Dodgers franchise history.

Like the great freight train that lies above the centerfield wall, Jose Altuve roared to life as he unleashed upon a 94MPH four-seam fastball and dumped it into the Phillips 66 station in center field for the game-tying home run.

Kershaw had another one of his paltry and peculiar postseason performances as he surrendered a four-run lead for just the second time in his career, the first being in Game 1 of the 2014 NLDS against the St. Louis Cardinals. Since 2012, the Dodgers were 49-1 when Kershaw was handed at least a four-run lead.

Kershaw left the game with the lead, but it didn't last long as he allowed six runs on four hits with three walks and two strikeouts in just 4 and 2/3 innings.

It was the first time since 2010 the three-time Cy Young Award winner had more walks than strikeouts in a start.

Los Angeles took the lead for the third different time in the top of the seventh when George Springer attempted to make a diving catch in centerfield on a ball hit by Bellinger.

Springer missed the ball by about a foot and it bounced past him, rolling all the way to the wall as Bellinger stood on third with an RBI triple. 

Houston would fight back with a left hook to L.A. in the bottom half of the seventh as Springer redeemed himself by parking a ball on the railroad tracks in left field for a monster 448-foot home run that tied the game.

"I've been in the game a long time, I don't think I've seen someone remedy a mistake faster than what Springer did tonight," said Hinch. "He dove, he tried to make an athletic play, small desperation, trying to keep his body in front of it if he could somehow not catch it. And then feels like the worst feeling in the world. He feels like he made the mistake of a lifetime. And one pitch later he hits a homer."

Three batters later, Carlos Correa delivered what was thought to be the knockout blow for the Astros with a two-run home that crashed into the Crawford Box in left field for the 11-8 lead.

Corey Seager helped the Dodgers chip away at the lead with an RBI double in the top of the eighth, but the run was wiped away as Brian McCann hit the 21st home run of the series in the bottom half of the inning, as Houston thought they had squashed any hopes of a comeback.

They were wrong. 

The Dodgers received a standing eight count, but they rose off the mat and refused to go down without a fight. 

Yasiel Puig crushed a two-run home run into the Crawford box that cut the lead to 12-11 with one out in the top of the ninth. 

Three batters later, after a double by Barnes, Chris Taylor tied the game with a clutch, two-out, RBI single and the game headed to extra innings.

Dodgers' closer Kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless 9th inning, and retired the first two batters he faced in the 10th, but after hitting McCann with a 95MPH cutter on the hand, and walking Springer, he surrendered the game-winning single to Alex Bregman and the Astros walked-off for the win.

"He's Alex Bregman," said Hinch matter of factly. "I think he understands exactly what he does well, which he did from day one. And I think being calm in the moment is innate. I think he understands, has a confidence level, has an awareness. Even like the awareness to beat them with a single. He's not trying the theatrics and dramatics, trying to hit a ball out of the ballpark, like he did last night. He's just trying to get a good single and get a good pitch to hit."

Both teams combined to hit a total of seven home runs in the game, and set a new 113-year World Series record with 22 combined homers in the series with at least one game still left to play.

In total, both teams combined for 25 runs on 28 hits, with five ties, and five lead changes in a 5 hour and 17 minute marathon ride that marked the second longest game in World Series history.

"I think this whole series has been an emotional roller coaster," said Dodgers' manager Dave Roberts. "It's the two best teams playing for a championship. And these are two teams that play 27 outs, like we've talked about. So you're not going to expect those guys to lay down. And obviously you saw what our guys did tonight, and competed until the last out."

Houston now finds themselves on the precipice of history as they are one win away from earning their first championship in their 55-year history. The third longest drought in the Majors.

Up Next: 

It's do-or-die for the Dodgers in Game 6 at Dodger Stadium as Justin Verlander starts against LHP Rich Hill in a rematch of Game 2 with first pitch scheduled for 5:20PM PST. 

Contact Us