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- Game 5 of the World Series was another instant classic.
- The marathon game lasted over five hours and saw 4 wild comebacks and 7 home runs.
- The Houston Astros are now just one win away from becoming World Series champions.
Game 5 of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros was yet another instant classic, with ups and downs for both teams in what would end up as the longest nine inning game in World Series history.
With the series tied 2-2, every at-bat felt like it had the potential to change the course of the entire postseason, and in many cases, it did.
After the Dodgers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning, and extending it to 4-0 in the fourth, it seemed that starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw might already have all the run support he would need to get through the game. But just as they had through out the series, the Astros would comeback.
In the bottom of the fourth, Carlos Correa smacked a double to bring home George Springer and put Houston on the board. The very next batter was Yuli Gurriel, who hit a three-run homer to tie the game 4-4 and send Houston into hysterics. (Gurriel made headlines in Game 3 for making a racist gesture at Dodgers pitcher Yu Darvish. While Gurriel was suspended five games for the incident, his suspension won't begin until the start of the 2018 season.)
In the fifth the chaos continued, with Cody Bellinger slamming a three-run home run to put the Dodgers back on top, only to see Jose Altuve match him in the bottom of the inning to make the game 7-7.
After a quiet sixth inning the Dodgers were threatening again in the seventh. With a man on first Bellinger stepped up to the plate yet again and this time laced a ball to senterfield. George Springer dove for the ball didn't come close to making the catch, and the ball bounced over him giving Bellinger an RBI triple and the Dodgers the lead yet again.
For a moment, it felt like this would be the iconic image of the moment the World Series turned.
Jamie Squire/Getty Images
But it would take Springer just minutes to redeem himself. Facing Brandon Morrow, who had not given up a home run all season, Springer stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the seventh and absolutely smacked a ball to left-center to tie the game yet again, this time 8-8.
Later in the inning, Altuve hit a double to bring in the go-ahead run, and then Correa sent a ball out of the park to give the Astros an 11-8 lead. Correa was, predictably, hyped as the ball went over the fence.
But Houston would not get to coast to an easy victory. After surviving a scare in the eighth inning giving up just one run, Brian McCann hit yet another home run to bring the lead back to three. Then, in the top of the ninth, Chris Devenski walked the first batter he saw and then gave up a two-run home run to Yasiel Puig to bring the game to a nail-biting score of 12-11.
Chaos then struck yet again when Chris Taylor was able to single and send Austin Barnes running home, knotting the game back up 12-12 heading to the bottom of the ninth. Kenley Jansen would shut down the Astros, sending the game into extra innings.
The Astros survived the top of the tenth, and got two men on base in the bottom of the tenth after McCann was hit by a pitch and Springer walked. The Astros sent in Derek Fisher to pinch run, and Alex Bregman stepped to the plate.
He would send the home crowd home happy.
Final score: Astros 13, Dodgers 12.
The series now heads back to Los Angeles, where the Astros will be just one win away from their first title in franchise history. First pitch of Game 6 is scheduled for Tuesday at 8:20 p.m. ET, with Justin Verlander on the mound for the Astros and Rich Hill expected to start for the Dodgers.
Jose Altuve game-tying home run pic.twitter.com/NrgfR52Nf8
- Sports Daily (@SportsDGI) October 30, 2017
Springer's HR that tie the game 8-8 #Houston #Astros #EarnHistory #Springer #WorldSeries pic.twitter.com/4yDDTcxtDX
- Houston Sports Focus (@HouSportsFocus) October 30, 2017
Carlos Correa, are you kidding me? pic.twitter.com/xzdv90JSi4
- LeadingMLB ™ (@LeadingMLB) October 30, 2017
Yasiel Puig with the lunge that turns into a 2-run home run & #ThisTeam trails #EarnHistory 12-11 #WorldSeries GM5
- Around The Bases POD (@AroundBasesPOD) October 30, 2017
pic.twitter.com/GjrUOuiJlf
WALKOFF! WHAT A GAME!
- FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 30, 2017
The @astros are 1 win away from a #WorldSeries title! https://t.co/ekdFP6jKK7