October 28, 2022
HOUSTON — In a World Series opener befitting this absolutely wild postseason run for the red hot Phillies, an epic 6-5 win in extra innings shocked the baseball world and put the Phillies once again up 1-0 for the fourth time in October.
Overcoming a 5-0 deficit early against the Astros (who lose for the first time in these playoffs), the Phillies came back with poise, confidence and heroics that could turn the Philadelphia area upside down when this series return north. The swings in the sport of baseball are hard to understand sometimes. After combining for 10 runs in the first four and a half innings, neither team scored again until J.T. Realmuto's solo homer in the 10th. If you have any nails left, you have more chill than me.
As we do after every game, here's a look at the good, the bad and the ugly from Game 1 (assuming your eyes haven't shut already from these damn games starting so late):
• You could hear a freaking pin drop after Realmuto's home run. I stood up to watch the ball go a few rows into right field and I thought I was seeing things. No reaction from the fans whatsoever — it was bizarre. Regardless, it was an actual, real home run that put the Phillies ahead improbably.
J.T. REALMUTO GIVES PHILLY THE LEAD IN THE 10TH‼️ 🔔
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 29, 2022
(via @MLB)pic.twitter.com/f1CL0BhVRm
Bryce Harper followed with a single, and Bryson Stott added a walk after a fantastic at bat as the Phils tried to add more but settled for the one-run lead.
• The blood finally got flowing a bit for the Phillies bats in the fourth, as a perfect effort from Justin Verlander was broken up when Rhys Hoskins hit a single, followed by another single from Bryce Harper (that probably should have scored Hoskins but it didn't). The first baseman would eventually score, when Nick Castellanos hit a bloop single to left to get Philly on the board, 5-1.
It was really nice to see the fight from the Phillies there in the fourth, as Alec Bohm plated two runs with a bullet of a double to make it a baseball game again 5-3. All postseason long, this veteran lineup has been confident and has not seemed at all diminished when falling behind, even by a lot. These games should be competitive the entire series thanks to all the pop in Philadelphia's batting order.
Also, three runs with two outs? That's a nice way to earn some respect, win or lose.
• An inning later Brandon Marsh got into the mix, sprinting out a double to the corner before a walk to Kyle Schwarber gave Philly a second scoring opportunity with nobody out. J.T. Realmuto nearly blasted a Verlander pitch out of the building, a double to straightaway center scoring both Marsh and Schwarber tying the score at 5-5.
And just like that... TIE GAME! 😱
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 29, 2022
5-0 is now 5-5 in #WorldSeries Game 1! pic.twitter.com/wnC2igDdTP
This Phillies team is the real deal. They came all the way back from five-behind against a future Hall of Fame pitcher on the road in the World Series.
• My head nearly spun around when I heard the media announcer say Ranger Suarez — the Phillies' Game 3 starter — was warming up in the bullpen. He entered the game with two outs in the seventh to face lefty slugger Yordan Alvarez and he proceeded to strike him out. It was even more striking that Suarez remained in for the eighth to counter the switch-hitting Bregman, who grounded out in one pitch. But when he faced lefty Kyle Tucker, he was lifted after surrendering a base hit.
The apparent risk in this decision was that Suarez could have totally screwed the Phillies over by struggling. They need him to be ready to go on Monday. It was an extremely ballsy move and is another reason why Phillies fans should absolutely love manager Rob Thomson. Seranthony Dominguez came in and retired five of six batters faced. You can't ask for anything more than that.
• The more I watch Alec Bohm play third base the more I feel confident he'll be there for a long time. With two on in the sixth and the Astros looking to get back on top, Bohm made this tricky play at the hot corner, prompting a hat tip from Hoskins at first:
What a play, Alec Bohm!
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 29, 2022
📺: FOX and the FOX Sports App pic.twitter.com/ZufBJ7rDYL
• A bad luck popup into no man's land in center gave the Astros a runner on with two out in the bottom of the ninth. Jose Altuve proceeded to steal second after getting a fantastic jump. Marsh didn't have the best jump on the ball in center. However a sliding catch a batter later by Nick Castellanos preserved the tie game.
• Kyle Tucker's name will not soon me forgotten by Phillies fans after the Astros outfielder ruined the World Series opener for them by hitting two homers (Rhys Hoskins style) to help give Houston a very large early lead.
After looking locked in to start the game, Aaron Nola relented the solo home run to Tucker in the second inning with no one out to put the Astros ahead early. A single followed from Yuli Gurriel to put the Phillies' ace on the ropes in enemy territory and a single from West Chester, PA native Chas McCormick with one out gave Houston a chance to break the game open.
They nearly did, as a single from Martin Maldonado made it 2-0 before a double play ended the second stanza.
In the third, a leadoff double from ALCS MVP Jeremy Pena and a walk to Alex Bregman set the table for Tucker's second dinger, putting the 'Stros up commandingly, 5-0. You don't want to be playing from behind against this Astros team:
Astros record when they've scored first this year (including postseason):
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) October 29, 2022
86-17!
• There was a palpable feeling of uneasiness when Bryce Harper strode to the plate in the seventh, with a pair of runners on and two out. He worked a walk which the Astros faithful are probably totally fine with (he is hitting .426 after all), giving Castellanos a chance to earn his Philly own legend status. After battling, he struck out swinging.
On the surface, stranding the bases loaded in the seventh inning of a tie game isn't the end of the world (and you can't expect them to convert every single time) but it was a huge momentum shift in the building. The anxiety was hard to deny and it vanished with the clutch strikeout from former Phillie Hector Neris. The buzz in Minute Maid came back and created an uneasy finish for everyone there.
• You knew it wasn't going to be a cake walk for David Robertson in the ninth, and a one-out double off the wall in left field off the bat of Bregman brought the winning run to the plate and once again got Houston fans screaming and chirping. An out, a walk and a wild pitch followed, putting runners at second and third. Somehow the Phillies got the third out. It was incredibly dramatic.
• As we mentioned, McCormick is from the Philly area and used "Dreams and Nightmares," Meek Mill's song that was the anthem for the 2017 Super Bowl-winning Eagles as his walkup song. Mixed feelings here.
• There isn't much history between these two franchises aside from the Phillies' NLCS win in 1980 that went the distance and eventually propelled the Phillies to their first ever World Series. I'll just use this space one more time to mention how wild it is, personally, that my wife and in-laws hail from Houston and none of us ever thought these two teams would be playing in the World Series. I wrote about it here. Excited for the ride that the next week and half will give my family.
• I should also add, there were far fewer Philadelphia fans in the ballpark than I expected. The dome made it louder than it probably should have been. Houston fans are great and amped up even after being here for four of the last six seasons. Props to them.
• How are we supposed to do this three, four, five or six more times?
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