World Series Game 2 FAQ (LIVE on FOX)
HOUSTON -- Game 2 sure has a tough act to follow.
But if the opener of this World Series between the Phillies and Astros is any indication, we might have something special here.
The Phillies beat the odds and the Astros in storming back from a 5-0 third-inning deficit to win, 6-5, in an epic 10-inning Game 1. And now, with their ace Zack Wheeler on the mound for Game 2 on Saturday night at Minute Maid Park, they’ll try to take a 2-0 Series lead with them when the Fall Classic shifts to Philly on Monday.
“We definitely needed to pick up a game out here,” reliever David Robertson said, “because when we get back in front of the Philly faithful, we're in good shape.”
Let’s not go burying the Astros just yet, though. This is, after all, the same team that opened its postseason with a 7-0 run through the American League Division Series and the AL Championship Series. And Houston is sending Framber Valdez -- who has allowed all of two earned runs in 12 2/3 innings in the playoffs on the heels of an All-Star season -- to the hill.
“We just need Framber to be Framber,” Houston manager Dusty Baker said. “We need some innings. They kind of went through their bullpen. We went through ours. So it's a matter of how far the starters can go.”
Neither Justin Verlander nor Aaron Nola made it past the fifth in a Game 1 that went 10 innings. So as Baker said, even with Sunday’s off-day looming, starting length would be welcomed by both clubs in this ballgame.
When is the game and how can I watch it?
Game 2, which will air on FOX at 8 p.m. ET/7 CT, is scheduled for Saturday.
All games are available in the U.S. on MLB.TV (authentication to a participating Pay TV provider is required). Live games are also available in select countries outside the U.S. For full details, click here.
Who are the starting pitchers?
Phillies: Ace Zack Wheeler (1-1, 1.78 ERA) starts Game 2. His 0.51 WHIP is the lowest in any four-start span in a single postseason in MLB history. Curt Schilling is second with a 0.62 WHIP over a four-start span with the D-backs in 2001, when they won the World Series. Wheeler got hit by a line drive on the inside of his left knee on Sunday in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series. The knee is still sore, but Wheeler said he is fine and will not be affected by it Saturday night.
Astros: All-Star left-hander Framber Valdez (1-0, 1.42 ERA) starts Game 2. Valdez started Game 2 of the ALDS against the Mariners and Game 2 of the ALCS against the Yankees. In the ALDS, he held Seattle to two runs and four hits across 5 2/3 innings. In Game 2 of the ALCS, he threw seven innings and allowed just two unearned runs to New York. He was 17-6 with a 2.82 ERA in the regular season, capping it with five scoreless innings against the Phillies in the final game on Oct. 5.
What are the starting lineups?
Phillies: Manager Rob Thomson thought about moving up Bryce Harper from cleanup to third in the Phillies’ lineup, but after consulting with his coaches and hitters, he decided to keep the lineup that got them through the first three rounds of the postseason. Matt Vierling replaces Brandon Marsh and Edmundo Sosa replaces Bryson Stott against Valdez.
1. Kyle Schwarber, LF
2. Rhys Hoskins, 1B
3. J.T. Realmuto, C
4. Bryce Harper, DH
5. Nick Castellanos, RF
6. Alec Bohm, 3B
7. Jean Segura, 2B
8. Matt Vierling, CF
9. Edmundo Sosa, SS
Astros: Trey Mancini sits as he has struggled. He’s 0-for-16 in the playoffs with six strikeouts, though he’s one of the few Houston players to have faced Wheeler (he’s 1-for-4). Aledmys Díaz gets the start in left with Yordan Alvarez moving to DH in Game 2.
1. Jose Altuve, 2B
2. Jeremy Peña, SS
3. Yordan Alvarez, DH
4. Alex Bregman, 3B
5. Kyle Tucker, RF
6. Yuli Gurriel, 1B
7. Aledmys Díaz, LF
8. Chas McCormick, CF
9. Martín Maldonado, C
How will the bullpens line up after the starter?
Phillies: Despite Thomson going to his bullpen in the fifth inning in Game 1, he should have most of his relievers available in Game 2. Maybe everybody. Right-hander Seranthony Domínguez threw 24 pitches in 1 2/3 innings. Robertson threw 25 in the 10th. José Alvarado threw only seven pitches in one inning. Zach Eflin threw 20 in 1 1/3 innings. It helps that Wheeler is on the mound. The Phils hope he can get through six or seven innings, lessening the strain on the ‘pen.
Astros: With Verlander lasting only five innings in Game 1, the Astros used six relievers on Friday to cover five frames. The only reliever who threw more than 16 pitches was Bryan Abreu (32), so he could be down for Game 2. Other than that, Baker should have his entire bullpen ready to back Valdez.
Any injuries of note?
Phillies: Philadelphia is healthy entering Game 2. Realmuto took a foul tip that jarred his jar in the sixth inning, but the catcher will be fine.
“It just smoked my jaw pretty good,” Realmuto said. “It's probably not going to be very easy for me to eat dinner tonight, but as long as my head's OK, I'll be good to go.”
Astros: Houston has no injuries.
Who is hot and who is not?
Phillies: Realmuto went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, a walk and three RBIs in his World Series debut. … Castellanos and Bohm are a combined .400 (10-for-25) with runners in scoring position this postseason. … Harper went 2-for-4 with a walk in Game 1. He is batting .426 (20-for-47) with six doubles, five home runs, 11 RBIs and a 1.332 OPS in the playoffs.
Astros: Gurriel (13-for-34), Bregman (11-for-34), Peña (11-for-38), Tucker (9-for-33) and McCormick (6-for-23) have been carrying Houston's offense in the postseason and have combined for 12 of the team’s 14 playoff homers. … Altuve (4-for-37) and Mancini (0-for-16) remain in playoff slumps.
Anything else fans might want to know?
• In all best-of-seven postseason series, teams winning Game 1 have gone on to win the series 121 of 187 times (65%). In series with the current 2-3-2 format, teams grabbing a 1-0 lead on the road have then taken the series 39 of 69 times (57%), including the Phillies’ victory over the Padres in the NLCS.
• The Astros and Phillies have played five consecutive extra-inning games in the postseason (the final four games of the 1980 NLCS between the clubs each went to extras).
• Tucker has eight career postseason homers, tying him with Carlos Beltran and Gurriel for fifth most in Astros history.
• Gurriel has 83 postseason hits, the second most in Astros history behind Altuve (95). He’s collected at least two hits in four of eight playoff games this year.
• Realmuto’s 10th-inning homer was the third extra-inning homer in Phillies history, and the first since Lenny Dykstra’s in Game 5 of the 1993 NLCS.