The Houston Astros, now (4-0) in games 5 of the World Series, won game 5 in Philadelphia last night, (3-2), to take a 3 games to 2 lead in the 2022 World Series.
Five years ago, the ‘Stros won a home #5, (1″3″-1″2″) to also take a 3 games to 2 W.S. lead. Then they went to L.A. and lost #6, (the 4th of 6 Verlander W.S. losses before his 1 run/5 innings, but gave (1-0) lead right back to first batter Kyle Schwarber’s solo homer), win last night).
However, they won #7 behind Charlie Morton and Lance McCullers, the latter I guess would be the Houston starter if there is a 7th. (He was the losing pitcher in #3).
What a shame: I watched none last night and so little, actually almost no baseball this season and thus cite ALCS MVP Jeremy Pena, a bit “late” in this post.
This is the first time, either as a player or manager in his 6 World Series, that ‘Stros manager, Dusty Baker goes home with his team up 3 games to 2.
Last night Baker went to his “closer” Ryan Pressly (finishing the usual tangent, Baker teams, down (3-2) in his 3 other World Series lost all of them in 6, as a manager with Houston vs the Braves last year and as a player, both ’77 at New York and in ’78 at L.A. vs the Yankees. Need I add, as/since Pressly was successful with help by big defensive plays from (inserted) Trey Mancini to end the 8th and Chas McCormick, 1 out none on, as he leaped against the wall to rob first game star, J.T. Realmuto, of at least a 1 out double, that ’77 which has the same calendar as 2022, was the year Elvis Presley died and this year, 2022 a fine movie about him was released) with Phils’ runners at the corners and only 1 out and “Hous” clinging to a (3-2) lead.
Pressly fanned Brandon Marsh and got Kyle Schwarber on a hot smash to Mancini, who was at the bag and fielded the fair ball and from there, easily retired Schwarber.
Since the 1962 game 5 winner was the home team Yankees, as Tom Tresh, who hit some really clutch World Series home runs, had the decisive 3 run homer (adding/editing roughly 2 years later), the current road/home/home/road/road W.S. configuration/results had not manifested since 1951.
The 2022 World Series is tied at 2 games apiece after a World Series record tying 5 home runs Phils output won #3 (7-0), but Christian Javier hurled 6 of the Astros’ 9 pitched, hitless innings in a series squaring, (5-0) win in #4.
What can I say, once I loved this, however, situations such as last night as there is no real drama in a combined no hit bid or achievement, are among the many, as to why, I, who once fully immersed myself in every World Series play, watch so little.
Tonight is game 5 with #6 scheduled to be played Saturday night in Houston. Let’s hope not, but I fear Fox and first World Series announcer, Joe Davis will get a 7th and if so, it would go, (rhyme) vs Sunday night pig, a ’62 AFL Title tilt redux of Dallas at Houston in the form of Tennessee at K.C. (rhyme).
Speaking of Houston football, that city’s (1-5-1) Texans face Philly’s (yes Philadelphia vs Houston) (7-0) Eagles “opposite” but on something called Amazon, #5 W.S. Houston Astros at Philadelphia Phillies tonight.
The road/home/home/road configuration through the first 4 games is the first such since 1962 and before that 1951. Each of those World Series resulted in New York Yankees’ victories vs Giants’ teams, the ’51 version still in New York while the ’62 Team had San Francisco, where rain caused 3 postponements between #’s 5 and 6, as its home.
Maybe and clearly it lacked the drama and greatness of Don Larsen’s game 5 of a (2-2) World Series, FULL 9 innings, perfect game in 1956, however, praise indeed for Christian Javier, pictured above.
Before seeing Gabriel Byrne’s beyond superb performance in “Walking With Ghosts,” I considered him a great say the equivalent of a really good futbol/soccer player.
After seeing his performance, which an unknown in the elevator told me was a “primer on how to do a one person show,” when I said I was about to attend it, Mr. Byrne might appreciate his top flight goaltender for the famed Manchester United team equivalency. In other words, he is that good!
He rains down humor and pathos as he walks us through his life, which has been ripe with trauma and challenge, but also great artistic and personal triumph.
Both he and the show are truly inspirational!
The superb actor, Gabriel Byrne, pictured above.
The scheduled Sunday off day in the World Series meant/means in all likelihood there will be no Sunday World Series game for the first time since 1990 when there was a Sunday game 5 scheduled, but the Cincinnati Reds swept the heavily favored, defending champion, Oakland Athletics, clinching the crown on Saturday night in Oakland. (I remember reaching Billy Hatcher and perhaps Lou Piniella, respective World Series hitting and managerial excellence entities for a Cincy team that stayed in Oakland for at least part of that Sunday after winning what is to this point their last title).
This year no Sunday World Series tilt was scheduled. Last night’s game 3 postponement due to rain means the teams could play 5 straight days (tonight Tuesday-Saturday), and one more postponement likely would mean a Sunday game.
Assured is the fact that game 5 scheduled for Thursday night in Philadelphia will be played opposite another Philadelphia/Houston sports clash, that one matching the (7-0) Philadelphia Eagles, the lone NFL unbeaten team against the Houston Texans, whose (1-5-1) record is the league’s second worst (The Lions, sans an all the way title tilt game since 1957 are (1-6).
Houston manager Dusty Baker is in his 16th LCS or World Series as a player or manager. In half (8) of those entities, his team lost the series opener.
Only in the most recently completed such entity, the 2022 ALCS when Baker’s “Stros” swept the 3 time Baker as a player World Series opponent Yankees, was there a sweep. Thus 15 of 16 Baker LCS or World Series, both as a player or manager did not result in series sweeps.
In ’81 Baker’s lone title season to this point, that as a player, his Dodgers, beaten by the Yankees in both the ’77 and ’78 World Series, lost the first two games of that World Series but won the series. 6 of the 7 other times a Baker team lost either an LCS or WS opener, his team won game 2. The only time they did not was in the never should have been played 50 game neutral site ‘offs season of 2020 and in that ALCS in which Baker’s team lost the first two games, they lost the first three, only to become the only team to win the next 3 but lose the decisive 7th game.
Billy Hatcher, pictured above, as cited above, had a great 1990 World Series for the Lou Piniella managed Cincinnati Reds.
In 1986, playing in a classic NLCS for the Astros against the Mets that ended with a heartbreaking Astros’ loss in the last game 16 inning great game, Hatcher increased the intensity/glory of that tilt with a game tying extra innings home run.
The Houston Astros scored 3, more than enough, frst inning runs for Framber Valdez, who eased in a “V” vs “W” World Series pitching matchup, (others? I doubt it, but …) vs Zack Wheeler on 3 consecutive doubles to start and an error with 2 outs, led (5-0) and won (5-2) to square the 2022 World Series.
After the game 1 loss, Houston was (1-7) in their last 8 home World Series games, now of course (2-8) and just (4-10) all-time (5 “apps” those being in ’05,’17,’19,’21 and 2022).
Meanwhile the Phillies dropped to the same (1-7) mark, all-time in Saturday World Series games. They lost Saturday W.S. tilts in 1915, 1980, 1983 and 2009 while losing 2 in 1993, the second one on Joe Carter’s World Series ending 3RHR (now is not that better and more informative than saying w-lk o-f ?!) before last night’s loss.
Only in 2008, en route to their second crown, did they win a Saturday World Series tilt while in ’80 they won their first crown despite a Saturday World Series game 4 loss at Kansas City (Royals), a game in which Willie Mays Aikens cracked 2 home runs for K.C.
1915 had a much different home/away configuration (it ended in 5 games, the first two and Boston title clinching 5th games at Baker Bowl (seems there is a Baker managing the Phils’ 2022 World Series opponent) in Philly, however it played out on Friday, Saturday and Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday as this one will, weather permitting. I do not know where a 6th or 7th would have been 107 years ago and doubt I ever will) however, the other 4 previous (1-1) Phils’ World Series had the current 2-3-2 configuration.
The World Series teams went to Philadelphia for games (3-5) all 4 times (as I was writing this a WNYC, just before “The Puzzle” yielded regarding Drexel University in Philadelphia) with one of the teams winning both games 3 and 4 and eventually the series.
Thrice it was the Phils’ opponent (in ’83 the Orioles won games (3-5) and clinched in Philly while the ’93 Blue Jays and 2009 Yankees won #’s 3 and 4 in Philly, lost game 5 there but titled in game 6 at home), that won games 3 and 4 and the series and once in 2008 it was the Phillies and they won their second crown with home wins in games (3-5), enabling the late, great Phillies’ broadcaster, Harry Kalas, denied such in ’80 as local announcers could not broadcast the W.S. to call the end of game 5.
The great player, Paul Molitor, pictured above, (Paul was primarily a designated hitter, but before this year such players were not allowed to play a W.S. tilt without playing in the field when the contests were in a National League park) played first base and delivered a big hit early in #3 at Philly in ’93 and later as a designated hitter, got a hit putting 2 on with one out before Carter’s incredibly dramatic World Series ending home run.
Despite being down (5-0), the 87 “reg” wins, Philadelphia Phillies (10-2) in this baseball tournament, rode J.T. Realmuto’s tying 2 run double (T5) and solo homer top 10, to (6-5) the Astros (Houston is 0-5 in World Series opening games and have lost 7 of 8 home World Series games since winning 1″3″-1″2″ to take a “3”-“2”, 2017 World Series lead, en route to their lone crown) in the 2022 World Series opening game.
Once again, Houston starter, Justin Verlander (this was a no decision for the (0-6) in World Series play, pitcher) failed, this time, truly, big time!
The Phillies playing on a 4th consecutive Friday, all in different post-season entities, are (4-0) in such games and are now (6-2) in World Series opening games.
As cited in an earlier post, thrice the Phils have won the World Series opener only to lose the series, including the entity held 107 years ago in 1915, when after Grover Cleveland Alexander and the Philly beat Boston in the “opener,” in a game played on a Friday, the Philly team lost the last 4 games of that World Series.
J.T. Realmuto, pictured above.
Tonight, certainly for the first time in a long time and perhaps ever, the World Series begins on a Friday. It matches the Houston Astros, still the only team to play in the World Series representing both the National and American Leagues and the Philadelphia Phillies.
It is a redux of arguably the greatest post-season entity of all (late in game 5, in what is a treasured memory, my father who had seen baseball for say 55 years at that point (he got 13 more, Joe Carter’s World Series ending homer vs the Phils his last and to me after that, with the wild card presence and eventual other c-ap, baseball has taken a precipitous drop. Yet this is W.S. time and I I am looking forward to it. I might even watch it, albeit with the sound off), the 1980 NLCS won by the Phils in an extra inning, decisive 5th game.
Neither franchise has experienced much World Series success as the Phillies are (2-5), the ‘Stros (1-3) in such entities. In World Series games, the Phils are (14-23), the 23 losses evoking their modern baseball record losing streak of 23 consecutive games, 61 years ago in 1961, while the Astros are (9-15).
None of the seven previous Phillies’ World Series have gone 7 games while half of Houston’s 4 have gone to a decisive 7th (a Houston title in ’17 and a loss in ’19). The 7 Phils World Series have averaged 5.28 games in length while Houston’s 4 have averaged exactly 6.
The teams were swept in World Series play 55 years apart. The Phillies were swept by the Yankees, that 1950 title was the second of what was to be a still record and long to be such, 5 straight crowns for the Yankees. Conversely the White Sox title bearing sweep of the Astros in 2005 gave the South Side Chicago team its first title in 88 years. (only the same city Cubs’ 108 year title drought was longer).
Houston (Astros) are (0-4) in World Series opening games while the Phillies are (4-3). The game 1 winner has failed to title in 4 of the combined 11 World Series of the two teams (the Phils won the 1915, 1983 and 2009 openers, the 1915 opening game behind the great Grover Cleveland Alexander, but lost the World Series. The Astros lost the 2017 World Series opener at L.A. vs the Dodgers but won game 7 there and the title.)
There are 3 links to Ronald Wilson Reagan involving Phillies’ World Series play that come to mind and likely only my mind.
“Dutch,” as Reagan was called, among other names (I can think of a few) played Grover Alexander the aforementioned 1915 W.S. opening game winner in a movie called “The Winning Team” opposite Doris Day and gave a nice performance.
The Phillies finally won the title in 1980 less than a month before Reagan was elected U.S. President.
In 1983, Reagan came on camera, before top 8 and after the delay, Garry Maddox, who had the decisive hit and caught the last out in the classic 1980 NLCS, homered on Scott MacGregor’s first pitch, accounting for the game’s final run in the Phils’ (2-1) win.
However, as was the case in 1915, the Phillies lost the last 4 games of the series. In ’09, the Phils won the opener at the Yankees but lost the next 3 games and the series in 6 games.
Bake McBride (is this the year “Bake” (Astros manager Dusty Baker, his team nearly a 2:1 favorite finally wins a title as a manager?) had a key home run in game 1/1980 World Series, the only time either the Phils or Astros won both the W.S. opening game and the series.
I thought highly of Ralph Macchio before seeing him interviewed by Josh Horowitz, Tuesday past at Symphony Space in New York City. My admiration and respect for Mr. Macchio has increased due to his “in perspective,” articulate, personable appearance I witnessed.
His book “Waxing On” sounds great, as he told Mr. Horowitz some of his many great stories involving his excellent body of work.
Most telling to me and my favorite Ralph Macchio performance was in “The Outsiders,” which was discussed. Directed by the great Francis Ford Coppola, who was rightfully praised, the movie was outstanding.
Ralph revealed that during his current book tour he was interviewed by “The Outsiders” author, S.E. Hinton in Tulsa, Oklahoma. That meant a lot to Ralph and it brings good feelings to me.
Mr. Macchio was impressive, having his career success in perspective and even offered “The Astros are good,” but stopped short of a prediction when I asked for one. He is a great sports fan.
Much more to the point, I felt good about Ralph as a person, who has achieved great success.
Ralph Macchio, pictured above.
The classic 1980 NLCS won by the Phillies in the maximum 5 games, vs the Astros, is not the only “semi” matching the sports teams from the two cities, Philadelphia and Houston, who of course are meeting in the 2022 World Series.
In a 1977 NBA “semi”/Eastern Conference Final (the Houston Rockets were in the NBA East at that point in time) the Philadelphia 76ers “6’d” the Houston Rockets only to lose in 6 to the Portland Trail Blazers in the subsequent NBA final. (#6 on the Sixers, Julius Erving was in his first Sixers’ season and in his first 6 seasons with Philly, the team and in many instances him, came up short, certainly of an NBA crown. In the 7th year, a savior named Moses arrived and led the team to a dominant NBA title).
Those are the only two Philly vs Houston post-season clashes, however, there are some nice links involving the two cities post-season and titles history.
In 1960, 6 (that # again) days apart, first on a Monday, the day after Christmas (then the NFL would not play on Christmas Day–not the case now–$$ (wish I had more, but some day none of that will matter) the Eagles won the NFL crown, (17-13) vs the Green Bay Packers, at home (Franklin Field), handing the great coach Vince Lombardi his lone ‘offs defeat followed by the Houston Oilers’ (24-16) New Year’s Day first ever AFL Title game win vs the then and now with most seasons as San Diego, Los Angeles Chargers.
Two great, already venerable quarterbacks Norm Van Brocklin of the Eagles and George Blanda of the Oilers, directed those victories.
Among other great football feats, Mr. Blanda is one of 8 NFL or AFL (only AFL) quarterback to throw 7 touchdown passes in a game.
Van Brocklin still holds the NFL record as he threw for 554 yards in a victory over the long defunct NFL team, the New York Yanks.
In both 1974 and 1975 each city won back to back hockey crowns.
Houston’s titles were won in the relatively obscure WHA (World Hockey Association) but are worth noting as the great, great Gord Howe was a member of those 2 title winning Houston Aeros teams.
The same years, the Philadelphia Flyers won NHL titles and have not “titled” since.
One more note: With Houston, Gordie Howe played with his sons Mark and Marty, the team winning crowns in ’74 and ’75. Mark born in 1955, not long after Gord’s last of 4 Red Wings’ titles and the team’s last in 42 years, (a drought that ended with a sweep of the Flyers), played on 2 Flyers’ teams that lost in NHL final round play.
In that ’60 AFL title tilt, Mr. Blanda threw 3 touchdown passes, one each to Dave Smith, Bill Groman and Billy Cannon, pictured above.
Cannon took a short toss from Blanda and went 88 yards altogether for a TD that put the Oilers up (24-16), the final score.
Interesting, as the AFL had the two point conversion, (I am not second guessing, just noting) that after the gifted Paul Lowe scored for the Chargers, coach Sid (Gross called him “Zid”) Gillman went for 1 and not a potential game tying 2 point conversion.
Yesterday I experienced an eye opening theatre experience, viewing “The How and the Why” at Sheen Center (18 Bleeker Street in New York City).
The story with its evolutionary biological theories and discussion, performed by Karen Leiner and Arielle Goldman, informed and entertained, doing so with pathos and humor.
Each performer was superb going back and forth with/at each other with brief interludes for drinks and popcorn, conveniently located on stage, adding to the intense, moving experience.
Both the writer Sarah Treem and the director Austin Pendleton are fantastic, each a personal favorite for past work and “The How and the Why” certainly increases their stature.
Click below for more information and access to ticket purchases.
The How and the Why — Sheen Center
Andy B Sports 