World Series Game 2 live: Alex Bregman’s two-run homer extends Houston Astros’ lead over Philadelphia Phillies | World Series

Phillies 0-5 Astros, best 6th inning

Valdez thinks he took Schwarber out 2-2, but that’s more like a bullet. Just like the next step. Schwarber is on base with a Phillies team that desperately needs baserunners.

Email from David Howell:

An observation…

Have the Astros, presumably aware of Houston’s lost reputation for a lead when a championship is at stake, made sure to get theirs in Game 1 so the Phillies can have the series advantage? This team seems to have planned everything else…

It’s the kind of thing that Baseball The gods tend to disapprove, so I doubt it. Then again, they were just rewarded for that game-delaying false move in the final inning, so maybe Houston is beyond good and bad.

Phillies 0-5 Astros, last 5th inning

Gurriel retires to end the inning, but the Phillies are now in a 5-0 hole and they don’t have quite as many outs to work with as they did after falling into the same hole in Game 1.

Phillies 0-5 Astros, last 5th inning

And Wheeler delivers a four-pitch walk to Kyle Tucker. It looks like he’s shaken after the home run.

2 Run home! (Astros) Phillies 0-5 Astros

The field call holds and Houston loses a challenge, which they should have saved for a much bigger moment in the game.

Alright, the Houston Astros contested the second base call, which is the most insignificant thing possible. No wonder people hate this team.

And the team of referees meets, probably because the game is going a little too fast and it’s time to slow things down.

Phillies 0-3 Astros, last 5th inning

Álvarez is in place and he strikes in the choice of a defender which is almost a double play. It clears Altuve but Álvarez stays at first. Two out in the inning.

Phillies 0-3 Astros, last 5th inning

Peña is first with Altuve. Wheeler is going to have to spend time focusing on Altuve, who is still a stealth threat. Wheeler throws a strike at Peña. 0-1. The next throw is a foul. 0-2. And Wheeler gets his third strikeout of the game one pitch later.

Phillies 0-3 Astros, last 5th inning

Wheeler throws for Altuve, who gets another hit right away. This time just a single.

We are halfway to the regulations! However, as we learned in Game 1, that doesn’t mean extra innings won’t be in play.

Phillies 0-3 Astros, best 5th inning

Now the bases are clear for the Sosa hitting the light. Valdez trails 2-0. The next pitch is right in the middle for the first strike called. 2-1. Sosa fouls the next one. 2-2. Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man” riff plays around the stadium, pissing everyone off, trying to cheer on Valdez’s eighth strikeout.

Instead, it’s another pitch outside. 3-2. Sosa swings on the next throw, fouling it. 3-2. He sits on the next court, but unfortunately for him, it’s the third shot.

Phillies 0-3 Astros, best 5th inning

Matt Vierling is next. He looks at a ball, then looks at a strike. 1-1. He takes a wild swing at a curveball. 1-2. He then strikes quickly into a double play, exactly what Houston was looking for there.

Phillies 0-3 Astros, best 5th inning

Valdez throws a gem tonight, smothering the Phillies bats. Of course, as soon as I write this, Segura is releasing a first single.

I vote for whoever campaigns to end campaign ads at sporting events.

Phillies 0-3 Astros, last 4th inning

Maldonado hits a hot shot in the third to end the inning. Bohm has to jump to catch it but in the end an out is an out. Round four was pretty quick.

Phillies 0-3 Astros, last 4th inning

McCormick is on his feet and he hits a single that weaves through the fielders.

Phillies 0-3 Astros, last 4th inning

Díaz is back next and he obliges with the quick thing, crashing short after just two throws. Again, Philadelphia would like to get some length off their ace.

Phillies 0-3 Astros, last 4th inning

Wheeler throws to Yuli Gurriel who shorts. I’m not going to lie and say that I don’t appreciate these quick outings after yesterday’s endless epic.

Phillies 0-3 Astros, best 4th inning

Bohm fouls on the first pitch he sees. Then he takes a throw just inside. Looks like it’s a tight strike zone by the plate umpire. The next pitch? That one really is a ball by anyone’s standards. 2-1. Bohm swings and misses on the next pitch. 2-2. Valdez gets a third strike called and it will be his seventh k of the day.

Phillies 0-3 Astros, best 4th inning

And Castellanos, who had a dazzling catch in yesterday’s game, immediately took third place.

Phillies 0-3 Astros, best 4th inning

Valdez takes Harper down 0-2, not that there’s a count where Harper isn’t dangerous. He fouls on the next two throws. Still a count of 0-2. After a break, Valdez made Harper his sixth batting victim of the game.

Just a note that the song in this WhatsApp ad that’s constantly replaying is “Can you make it?” by Funkadelic and it’s one of the best songs ever recorded. Okay, now to round four.

Phillies 0-3 Astros, last 3rd inning

Kyle Tucker hits another massive flyball, but this one stays in the park for the third out of the inning. On the fourth!

Phillies 0-3 Astros, last 3rd inning

With a runner first and no one out, Bregman is in place. Bregman swings and misses, according to the referees, then takes a ball. 1-1. Then he takes another bullet. Wheeler just misses with the slider here, not much but enough for the ref’s strike zone. Bregman swings and misses the fourth stick throw. 2-2. The next pitch? It almost hits him. 3-2.

And he strikes in a double game! It was not an ideal result. There are now two outside and no one on base.

Phillies 0-3 Astros, last 3rd inning

Wheeler is there for the start of the third inning. One imagines Philadelphia is looking for depth on its part given that they emptied the bullpen in order to secure yesterday’s must-win Game 1.

Álvarez is in for Houston and he fouls on the first pitch he sees. He then takes a high tone. 1-1. The next pitch? A little high too. 2-1. And the next too. 3-1. The next pitch…is a called ball though it looks borderline.

Phillies 0-3 Astros, best 3rd inning

Realmuto is in place and he retreats to the first pitch he sees. The single Schwarber is for nothing.

Phillies 0-3 Astros, best 3rd inning

First runner for Hoskins. He takes a strike. 0-1. Hoskins walks away. 0-2. Guessed wrong both times, it seems. 0-2. And he’s swinging towards the fences on the next pitch and that’s not where the ball is either. Another withdrawal from Valdez.

Phillies 0-3 Astros, best 3rd inning

Schwarber falls behind 0-2 and then takes a curve. 1-2. He fouls a fastball, it’s at 97 mph and sometimes it’s mind-boggling that players can even make contact with some of these pitches. The next throw is a ball. 2-2. Just like the next step. 3-2. Schwarber connects and lays a ball into the outfield that ends up being just a single.

Phillies 0-3 Astros, best 3rd inning

Valdez is back, facing Edmundo Sosa. Sosa takes a breakup pitch for a ball. 1-0. Then the next throw is a called strike. 1-1. And a foul ball. 1-2. Sosa calls time. The next pitch is in the dirt. 2-2. Sosa fouls on the next throw. 2-2. Another foul: Sosa is playing the ‘keep the stick alive’ game. 2-2. Sosa swings and misses. The at-bat is officially dead.

Phillies 0-3 Astros, bottom 2nd inning

And Peña lines up too short to complete the second run. Much less drama circulating.

Phillies 0-3 Astros, bottom 2nd inning

Altuve, who started the game with a bang, is already back up there and he’s out this time around. Still, I can’t blame it for following the aggressive swing.

Phillies 0-3 Astros, bottom 2nd inning

Martin Maldonado is next. He falls behind 0-2 then 0-3. It’s a strikeout for the first out of the inning. McCormick is always first.

Phillies 0-3 Astros, bottom 2nd inning

Wheeler is up again, hoping for a better second run than the first. He faces Chas McCormick who is working a full count. The batters see it well. And he walks. Yet another Astros baserunner.

I’m just posting this as proof that I didn’t hallucinate this particular piece of baseball wisdom. No, other people have heard it too: