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ESPN staff
This time, a 5-0 lead was more than enough for the Houston Astros.
A day after giving the Phillies a 6-5 overtime win, the Astros won 5-2 in Game 2. Framber Valdez wins 6.1 innings, gives up 1 and hits 9 while Houston leads with three straight hits for the first time in World Series history . Alex Bregman’s two-run homer added some insurance, but Houston dominated the game from the first pitch.
Here are the best sights and sounds from Game 2 of the 2022 World Series.
Game 2 Takeaway
We didn’t see the drama of Game 1, as Houston’s 5-2 victory was typical of the Astros in 2022. Valdez pitched in 6.1 innings, the top of the lineup did all the damage, and the bullpen shut it down. Here’s how the Astros won 106 games in 2022, and why they’re in this postseason The current record is 8-1.
The game was truly over after just four pitches when Jose Artuf, Jeremy Pena and Jordan Alvarez each doubled Zach Wheeler to make it 2-0 Taking a quick lead, Alvarez later scored on a turnover to make it 3-0. Altuve broke the postseason slump with three hits and Bregman hit another two-run homer, but Valdez took the star of the night. Normally, it would be impossible to bring the ball into the air against him. He had 19 outs: 9 strikeouts, 9 grounders and 1 on Bryce Harper’s line in left field in the first inning. Two doubles helped him out of a few minor quandaries.
When Kyle Schwarber misses a two-run homer, the Phillies get their best chance of the best inning of the game on eighth-inning backup Rafael Montero ……twice. First, he hit a long foul that was ruled a home run before the umpires encountered it and correctly called it a foul. He then flew to Keltuck in front of the right field wall. Harper would come on later with two runners, but popped out to the shallower right, with shortstop Pena dragging the catch as he nearly collided with Tucker.
Aaron Nola and Wheeler both took big hits in their starts, which must be a bit of a worry for the Phillies. The Phillies’ path to a World Series title certainly feels like it’s heavily reliant on pitchers who provide great outings, and that didn’t happen, only a historic five-round comeback in Game 1 put them at least in front. There were differences in the two games.
One area of interest: Dusty Baker certainly likes to keep his starters in the game. Valdez threw 94 pitches in Game 6, and he returned in Game 7. Granted, it was 5-0, but Baker kept Nick Castellanos on the floor after his first double. Given that Houston’s bullpen has allowed just 4 runs and 19 hits in 40.2 playoff innings, the rest of the series needs to be monitored. – David Schoenfield
Bregman goes to the yard
Alex Bregman’s two-run homer in the fifth inning gave the Astros a 5-0 lead again, sliding the ball from Zack Wheeler. Wheeler had a terrific 1.78 ERA in the first four games of the playoffs, but he didn’t have the same speed on his fastball and was throwing more than usual. His fastball averaged 94.2 mph — a man who had 99 points in his last game against the Padres. However, after a few innings in that game, he started to lose some speed, and it was also the Phillies that let Aaron Nola pass Wheeler in Game 1 to give him more rest One of the reasons for a day. A long postseason full of high-pressure innings could be starting to take its toll on Wheeler. As for Bregman, you may recall he struggled in the last playoffs, when he hit .217 home runs in 16 games (2-for-21 in the World Series) with a hand injury. It was his third home run in the 2022 playoffs. – Schoenfeld
The wheels on the train turn around. pic.twitter.com/VOuGo1wYsN
– Houston Astros (@astros) October 30, 2022
Valdez is trading
Framber Valdez had an unforgettable World Series last season: two starts, just 4.2 innings, 10 home runs total and two home runs allowed per game — that Is a pitcher who doesn’t allow multiple home runs. Taking an early lead in Game 2, we saw the guy with a 2.82 ERA to win 17 games this season and lead the American League in pitching. He just beat the 4-5-6 hitters in the Philadelphia lineup, struck out Bryce Harper on the curveball, gave Nick Castellanos third on a slow roll, and Hit Alec Bohm on the knee at 97 mph. No, it’s not fair: Valdez has one of the best curveballs in the game, a cleaver with ridiculous action… oh, he can dial it to 97. Justin Verlander was tired in the middle of Game 1, but it didn’t look like it was going to happen to Valdez. – Schoenfeld
Houston opens the scoring
Jose Altuve was 4-for-37 in the playoffs, but he jumped a 96.4-mph fastball on Zack Wheeler’s first pitch for the lead double in left field — He’s pumping the ball at 103.8 mph. Jeremy Pena then hit Wheeler’s next pitch — a curveball — into a left corner for an RBI double, his eighth playoff hit . After two pitches, Jordan Alvarez threw a fly from Crawford’s box for another double. Four pitches, three doubles and a 2-0 lead. It was the first time a team started the World Series with three straight extra hits.
The Astros then stole Game 3 thanks to some shoddy defense from the Phillies. Alvarez aggressively flags regular fly balls on center fielder Matt Verlin — who says bigs can’t run? – Then scored when Rhys Hoskins couldn’t throw shortstop Edmundo Sosa into the dirt with two outs. We’ve been waiting for the Phillies’ defense to hurt them throughout the playoffs, and they played three bad games in one inning — a bad pitch by Willing, a bad pitch by Sousa and Hawes Bad scoop for Kings. The Astros lead 3-0. Sound familiar? – Schoenfeld
Don’t mess with Texas. pic.twitter.com/RzQzFXluTn
– Houston Astros (@astros) October 30, 2022
Three pairs. pic.twitter.com/PPzvZmMsUA
– Houston Astros (@astros) October 30, 2022
pre-game fashion
study pic.twitter.com/3NElz8NdDB
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) October 29, 2022
The hero of game 1 is in a building. #world series pic.twitter.com/qF6efnK2GH
– Major League Baseball (@MLB) October 29, 2022
classic bregman #world series Flannel is back. pic.twitter.com/cgQv6wTzOB
– Major League Baseball (@MLB) October 29, 2022
bounce back. pic.twitter.com/jaMmaiV1m0
– Houston Astros (@astros) October 29, 2022