Astros rally twice in instant-classic that featured 5 home runs in 42 minutes to tie World Series with Dodgers
- The Houston Astros beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 7-6, in 11 innings in Game 2 of the World Series.
- The extra innings featured some explosive baseball, with the two teams scoring a combined seven runs on five home runs.
- Tied at 1-1, the series goes to Houston with both teams seemingly finding their groove on offense.
The Houston Astros beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 7-6, in 11 innings in Game 2 to tie the World Series.
The game became an instant classic with both teams rallying multiple times in extras before the Astros finally put away the Dodgers in the bottom of the 11th.
After the Astros scored two runs in the eighth and ninth innings to tie the game at 3-3, their offense finally broke loose in the 10th. Jose Altuve, perhaps the AL MVP frontrunner, and Carlos Correa hit back-to-back solo home runs to give the Astros a 5-3 lead before the Dodgers had even recorded an out.
Runs can be hard to come by in postseason baseball, even for the most dynamic of offenses. For the Astros to go up 5-3 in the top of the tenth seemed to spell trouble for the Dodgers.
However, the Dodgers answered in the bottom of the 10th as Los Angeles folk hero Yasiel Puig hit a solo home run to lead off the inning and bring the Dodgers within one run.
Things got wackier afterward. Logan Forsythe drew a walk with two outs and then advanced to second base on a passed ball. Enrique Hernandez then doubled to send Forsythe home and tie the game.
With Hernandez on second, Astros closer Ken Giles attempted to pick off Hernandez at second, but missed badly, nailing the umpire at second base. The umpire was okay, but the play nearly had huge ramifications. If it had not hit the ump, the ball would have sailed into left-center, likely giving Hernandez a chance at making it home.
The Astros, however, kept Hernandez at second and were able to close the inning.
Tied at 5-5, the Astros didn't let up in the top of the 11th. Cameron Maybin singled to lead off the inning and then stole second, the first stolen base of the series. Shortly after, George Springer, who went 0-for-4 in Game 1, hit a deep two-run bomb to put the Astros on top, 7-5.
Again, runs can be hard to come by in the postseason. Still, the Dodgers were not out of it. With two outs in the bottom of the 11th, Charlie Culberson hit a solo home run of his own keep the Dodgers alive, 7-6, bringing Puig at bat. Puig battled mightily, drawing a full count before striking out swinging on the ninth pitch of the at-bat.
Astros win.
As baseball writer Jayson Stark noted, there had only been 17 extra-innings home runs in World Series history before this game. The Astros and Dodgers hit five in 42 minutes.
The series now turns to Houston, where both teams will have to feel good about their ability thus far to get their bats on the ball.