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Tag: Framber Valdez

  • Four Looming Questions for the Astros This Offseason – Houston Press

    When you miss the postseason for the first time in eight years, even if it was only by a couple games, decisions will need to be made. This is particularly true of an Astros organization that has celebrated one of the best runs of any team in baseball over the last decade including a pair of World Series wins.

    It is what makes this winter both fascinating and a little concerning for anyone following this team. Jim Crane has said the championship window will always be open as long as he is the owner, but that is easier said that done, particularly when you are simultaneously trying to remain relevant and rebuild a farm system devastated by trades, injuries and penalties in the wake of the 2017 sign-stealing scandal.

    GM Dana Brown will have a lot on his plate when the hot stove starts heating up. Here are four questions that will be top of mind for him and Astros fans.

    How do you deal with the starting pitching?

    At present, the Astros have exactly two healthy starting pitchers we can assume will occupy the team’s starting rotation in 2026: Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier. Framber Valdez is a free agent and not expected to return. Barring surgery, Spencer Arrighetti should be back and Lance McCullers, Jr. could take one last shot at starting. After that, it’s a crapshoot.

    Multiple players including Ronel Blanco, Luis Garcia, Hayden Wesneski and Brandon Walter are expected to miss all of next season following surgery. That leaves rookie AJ Blubaugh, who was good in his handful of starts, but hardly a guarantee, and Jason Alexander, who could return but was only good this past year after being claimed off waivers.

    After swinging and missing at a starter at the deadline, Brown will have no greater priority than finding at least one, possibly two, starting arms this offseason and pray for health in 2026, something that has eluded the organization for several years.

    What moves do you make to clean up the infield logjam?

    Bring Carlos Correa back via trade was not just good for the feels at Daikan, it was beneficial on the field as well. Likewise, Ramon Urias provided some much needed depth on the infield. But with Isaac Paredes back from injury, there are now more players than spots available. Paredes could be moved to second base, but few believe he can excel defensively there, something the Astros as an organization have prioritized in their infield acquisitions. But if not there, where?

    Christian Walker came on at the end of the season, but was a general disappointment at the plate despite being excellent at first. Jose Altuve bounced between left field, second and designated hitter, but many people the left field experiment will end leaving him with few options in the field, especially when Yordan Alvarez is healthy.

    Then there is the fact that with Urias, the Astros are essentially carrying two utility men with Mauricio Dubon, who regressed at the plate in 2025. Could some of these players be moved to clear room?

    Oh, and we didn’t even mention the fact that rookie Brice Matthews, who plays second base, looks ready for a full season in the bigs. A lot to consider here.

    Can better coaching improve hitting with these players?

    After firing Alex Cintrón and Troy Snitker, the team will move to fill those vacancies with new hires focused on hitting, but will that be enough. For years, this has been an organization that preached plate discipline, but that seemed to escape them this year. With so many free swingers on the roster and not enough of them power hitters, the Astros offense was anemic at best.

    You’d be hard pressed to find people in baseball who believe hitting coaches can change the fortunes of entire teams, but they need to get these hires right. Getting back to taking more pitches and saving swings for balls in the zone must be a priority.

    Ultimately, however, it will take the right combination of players (and health) to get this team out of the offensive basement. Adding ANY power to the mix would also be hugely helpful.

    What 40-man roster moves should be on the table?

    When you consider the names on the roster and the lack of minor league depth, it seems like an offseason primed for some trades of players most fans know. Where players like Dubon, Walker and/or Paredes fit will be part of the calculus, particularly with the glaring need for pitching.

    Then there is the outfield. Jesus Sanchez in right was below average in the field platooning with the surprising rookie Cam Smith, who excelled defensively despite never playing in the outfield. But, Sanchez also struggled at the plate. They team dealt for him, hoping for a boost from his left handed bat. With a full year under his belt, Smith probably deserves the full time role in right, but where does that leave Sanchez?

    Likewise, rookie Zach Cole had a huge impact down the stretch and seemingly came out of nowhere, but would seem to be squeezed in the outfield when you consider the returns of Jacob Melton, one of the team’s best prospects, and Zach Dezenzo, who could play multiple spots on the field.

    Finally, there are Chas McCormick and Jake Meyers. McCormick could be a candidate to be non tendered and Meyers might be at the peak of his trade value after a good season at the plate and continued success defensively in center.

    A lot will be decided in a short period of time with potential seismic shifts up and down the roster.

    This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2025.

    Jeff Balke

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  • Four Questions the Astros Must Answer This Winter

    If you went back to the start of the 2025 baseball season with the knowledge that the Astros would have 26 players on the IL including a league most 18 at one time, lose +17 WAR in player injuries, see multiple starting pitchers go down with serious elbow problems, and lose your closer for the last month of the season, you probably would have imagined a team close to the bottom of the AL and a completely uncompetitive season.

    You’d be wrong.

    Despite all of those problems and an unbelievably anemic offense, the Astros entered game 161 with a chance to still make the postseason. Two weeks prior to that, they were leading the AL West. When you reconstruct the memory of the season in your head, that should offer at least a bit of comfort and, perhaps more importantly, perspective.

    We may all feel defeated after so much heartbreak, but the reality is this team played well beyond what it had on the field. Will there need to be changes? Absolutely. As former Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy was fond of saying, you don’t ignore in victory what you would not ignore in defeat. This team has its share of issues that must be addressed, but in the end, this season could have been much, much worse. Now, let’s figure out what to do next.

    Does Framber Valdez return?

    The highest profile free agent for the Astros this offseason is the lefty starter who may or may not have intentionally thrown at his catcher this year. Valdez has tons of talent and induces ground balls at an insane rate, but for two straight seasons, he has fallen off in the second half of the season. He has also become known for his occasional inability to rein in his emotions on the mound. 

    But, he is a unique talent that will have plenty of suitors if the Astros choose not to lean hard into their pursuit of Valdez. If this last season has taught us anything it is that you can absolutely never have too many pitchers, but at what cost? Valdez is going to want to be paid in what should be the last big deal of his career, but he’s about to turn 32 and it would make sense for the Astros to transition to younger talent at this point even if it hurts them in the short term. Don’t expect them to go all out for Valdez.

    How do you address the injury problems?

    How is really the right interrogative because, at this point, we aren’t sure who is to blame. The rash of injuries, particularly serious ones to pitching, was hard to fathom and could point to the player development staff. Then there’s the fact that multiple players clearly came back before they were ready putting return to play protocols and team medical staff in the crosshairs.

    But, there are so many deep, complex issues when it comes to pitching injuries in baseball from max effort throws and spin rate to young players pushing too hard too soon — kids are getting Tommy John surgery in high school now. All of Major League Baseball is facing the epidemic of pitching injuries and there are no good answers yet. At the bare minimum, the Astros need to evaluate their entire medical process and determine how they can limit re-injuries and make sure they are not pushing guys either in development or in returning from injury.

    What can they do about the scoring woes?

    The Astros were in the bottom third of baseball in runs scored, but they were in the top 10 in hits. That points to two truths about this roster. First, they don’t hit home runs. They were 16th in homers this year even in a ballpark like Daikan with it’s short porch in left field. Second, they were awful with runners in scoring position. The Astros were 26th in on-base percentage with runners in scoring position, 22nd in slugging, and 11th in strikeouts. 

    This is way too much of a free swinging team for a group that doesn’t hit the long ball with any kind of frequency. If you are hitting close to 300 home runs as a team for the season, you can go up there and be aggressive. But, if you don’t even get to 200, you better show more plate discipline. This was a focus of the team last offseason and yet they got worse. Don’t be surprised if hitting coaches take the brunt of the blame, but this will be on the players to correct and improve.

    What does the infield look like next year?

    Maybe even more than the pitching staff, the way the Astros deal with the infield in the offseason will be fascinating to watch. Jeremy Peña is locked at shortstop and it is clear with Carlos Correa’s return, he isn’t moving off of third base. You would think Christian Walker, who still has two seasons left on his deal with the team, would be guaranteed a spot at first, but his hitting was sub par even if he remained very good defensively, and Isaac Paredes, who was the much better hitter last year, finds himself without a position.

    Moving Paredes to first would make a lot of sense, but what would happen to Walker? He can’t just DH because of Yordan Alvarez. There was talk about Paredes playing second, but with defense a high priority, that might not be the best option. Never mind the fact that Brice Matthews is absolutely banging on the door of the major league. And we haven’t even mentioned Jose Altuve yet. Oof.

    Of all the things GM Dana Brown needs to figure out this winter, the infield might be the most complicated.

    Jeff Balke

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  • The Most Important Week of the Year is Upon the Astros: Four Thoughts

    The now second place Astros face the most pivotal week of the entire 2025 season this week with series against the Rangers and Mariners, both in Houston. Despite taking two of three in Atlanta, the Astros were overtaken by the Mariners, led by catcher Cal Raleigh, for first place in the AL West. The Rangers are just one game back.

    This week could be the difference between the Astros winning the division or missing the playoffs entirely. Despite a162-game schedule, we are down to the final two weeks of the season to decide who will make the playoffs.

    The offense must produce.

    The Astros remain one of the worst offensive teams in the hunt for the playoffs. They are 23rd in runs scored, 17th in home runs, 22nd in OPS, and 19th in runners left in scoring position per game. It’s not good. Neither Seattle nor Texas are offensive juggernauts, but when the Astros score four or more runs, they are nearly unbeatable. Unfortunately, they don’t do that very often. If they want to win these two series and put themselves in the driver’s seat for the playoffs, they have to score.

    Will starting pitching hold it down?

    Framber Valdez had another rough outing on Sunday and the Astros remain a team absolutely worked over by injuries to their rotation. Yet, they have found a way through Cy Young hopeful Hunter Brown and A’s castoff Jason Alexander among others to keep their starting pitching not just surviving but succeeding against all odds. All three of these teams have gotten effective pitching from their starters but because of the injuries, it is more important to the Astros than anyone. It would help if Valdez managed to pull it together.

    Is Isaac Paredes going to return?

    When the Astros third baseman went down with a hamstring injury, it was assumed he would not be available until 2026. Miraculously, he might return this week. His patience at the plate and solid hitting skills should help bolster a struggling lineup. Where he fits in defensively is another question. Carlos Correa is clearly the better defender at third and, even with his offensive struggles, Christian Walker won’t be dislodged at first. Most likely, Paredes will play some designated hitter and ease his way back into the lineup. Let’s hope it helps.

    Pushing through the injuries.

    It’s been one of the most difficult years for the Astros when it comes to the training room. From Yordan Alvarez and Paredes to Spencer Arrighetti and Ronel Blanco, this has been a nightmare year for the Astros training staff. There will legitimately need to be a discussion about what happened, particularly with all the arm injuries to pitchers in the offseason. For now, the Astros hope to limp their way to the finish line.

    Jeff Balke

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  • Tigers-Astros Game 1: Three Things to Watch

    Tigers-Astros Game 1: Three Things to Watch

    The Astros and Tigers begin a best of three game series to decide the AL Wild Card on Tuesday. While the Astros have the better record and home field advantage, the Tigers have been on a roll with the best record in the American League since the All-Star break. Astros former manager A.J. Hinch will face his former bench coach in Joe Espada in what should be an interesting series.

    Here are a few things to watch in game one.

    1. Will Yordan Alvarez return?

    The Astros best bat missed most of the final week of the season with swelling in his knee after an awkward slide into second base. According to the team, the swelling has subsided and Alvarez has been taking batting practice, but they have been coy as to whether he will see action in the series. If he does, it gives them one of the best 1-5 lineups in baseball even if he has to DH, pushing either Mauricio Dubon or Jason Heyward into the outfield. It could be a deciding factor in a shortened series.

    2. Tarik Skubal vs. the Astros bats.

    Skubal came just about out of nowhere and is likely to be a unanimous selection for the American League Cy Young Award this season. The Astros have been up and down at the plate all season, though they did put up four runs the last time they met Skubal. Because the series is a best of three, any loss has huge implications and Skubal will push Astros hitters to the limit. Because the starters behind Skubal are suspect, the Tigers really have to beat the Astros in game one. Expect their ace to be on his game.

    3. Famber Valdez vs. Detroit lefties.

    The Astros certainly have more firepower in their lineup than the Tigers, but the key may be the fact that Valdez is a left handed pitcher. Detroit’s two best hitters — Riley Green and Kerry Carpenter — are both lefties and have awful splits against pitching from the same side. Against righties, they rake. Southpaws, they are paltry at best. Carpenter is so bad, he often doesn’t play against left handed arms. To make things tougher, the Astros could start another lefty, Yussei Kikuchi in Game 3 if needed.

    Jeff Balke

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  • Astros Clinch AL West with Win Over Mariners

    Astros Clinch AL West with Win Over Mariners

    There weren’t a ton of hits for the Astros, but the ones they got mattered as three of their six hits were home runs in a tense 4-3 win over the Seattle Mariners. More importantly, the win coupled with the Mariners loss clinches the fourth straight AL West title for the Astros with four games remaining in the season.

    It caps one of the most remarkable turnarounds in recent history with the Astros trailing the Mariners by double digits early in the season only to come roaring back and capture the division once again capping it off against the team they were once chasing.

    With less than a week of games left, the win now allows a team that is a bit banged up to rest some of their players and set up their rotation for a Wild Card series that will begin next week.

    Like so many things this season, nothing came easy. The Astros led off the first with a homer from Alex Bregman, but the Mariners quickly took the lead 3-1. Two more long balls, one from Kyle Tucker and a two-run shot from Jason Heyward, gave them a lead they would not relinquish.

    Framber Valdez with five-and-two-thirds innings giving up all three runs and did not have his best stuff. But the relief crew including Jose Abreu, Ryan Pressly and Josh Hader shut down the M’s for the win.

    During an on-field postgame interview, an emotional Joe Espada celebrated the division crown in his first year as manager. “What a team,” he said.

    Heyward, who was just added to the team a few weeks ago, belted yet another homer and made a huge play in the outfield. He has been a terrific addition in a year that has needed every single player they could put on the roster.

    It was fitting that not only the Astros clinched versus the Mariners, but Hader got the save after signing a huge deal as closer in the offseason. He had ups and downs throughout the year, but also displayed moments of brilliance like Tuesday night, picking up his thirty-fourth save.

    As the Astros pop the corks in celebration, there is plenty of work left to do. They get a brief respite to rest some players, but the AL is incredibly competitive and the Astros probably won’t know who they will face next week until this weekend.

    For now, they can enjoy a moment that, back in May, very few thought would happen.

    Jeff Balke

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  • Four Reasons the Astros Are Bad at Baseball Right Now

    Four Reasons the Astros Are Bad at Baseball Right Now

    The Astros lost their second of three games to the lowly Washington Nationals on Sunday 6-0 dropping them to 7-16 on this still young season. There’s no reason to sugarcoat it. This is a bad baseball team doing bad baseball things right now. Sure, they could turn it around. The Major League Baseball season can be excruciatingly long.

    But, also, they might not. Five of their best players are playing well including Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, Kyle Tucker, Jeremy Peña and Yainer Diaz. Unfortunately, there isn’t much to show for it and when those guys inevitably have a slide — as every good player does during a long season — what the hell do they do then?

    We can point to some reasons they have not been very good. There are many. Here are four.

    Injuries

    This is not an excuse. Period. All teams suffer injuries. But when essentially your entire projected starting lineup is on the IL, that’s a problem few teams (if any) can overcome. They got Justin Verlander back and will get Framber Valdez back in short order, but they now lost Cristian Javier. Where would this team be if Ronel Blanco hadn’t suddenly become an ace starter? We shudder to think.

    click to enlarge

    Josh Hader and his fellow back-of-the-bullpen teammates have blown six saves this season already.

    Photo by Jack Gorman

    The Final Three

    Remember in Spring Training when everyone was all, “Dude, no one is going to score runs on us in the seventh, eighth and ninth. If we get a lead, teams are toast.” Um, OK so that was then. Now, the reality is Bryan Abreu has been the best of the bunch and he has an ERA of 4.91 and a WHIP of 1.818. Yikes. Ryan Pressly, the closer-turned-setup-guy, has an 8.31 ERA with a WHIP of over 2. And the $95 million dollar closer Josh Hader has a baffling 8.38 ERA with a WHIP of 1.655.

    They have blown six saves this season including a brutal two-run lead in the ninth in D.C. by Pressly. The Astros have been super fond of talking about looking at the back of players’ baseball cards to understand how good they will likely be once more of the season has passed, but progression to the mean is hardly guaranteed, and it will take a hell of a turnaround to make these three as feared as everyone hoped and expected.

    Lack of Timely Hitting

    The Astros are 22nd in baseball (.266 BA) with runners in scoring position. They are 28th in runners left on base per game (4.27). That speaks to two things. First, they get a good amount of people on base. They are a remarkable third in both team batting average and OPS (seventh in slugging). We say remarkable because they fact that they rank that highly in hitting categories yet drop to the bottom of the league when it comes to driving runners in is just crazy.

    Second, their clutch hitting is absolutely brutal, the polar opposite of Astros teams in the past despite having many of the same players. There is definitely some luck that plays into this and some problems in the lineup (more on that shortly), but the lack of clutch hitting does not auger well for a team that is struggling to get guys out in the last three innings of the game.

    click to enlarge

    Alex Bregman tends to start slow, but this is ridiculous.

    Photo by Jack Gorman

    Giant Gaping Lineup Holes

    When we had Martin Maldonado, we didn’t realize how good we had it. Maldy’s .606 OPS in 2023 may as well have been 1.100 when you consider the just putrid .223 OPS we are getting from Jose Abreu. Right now, Abreu is simply not a major league baseball player, but he’s out there every day because our only option behind his is…Jon Singleton. His numbers are positively Maldonado-y slashing .229/.308/.306 with a .594 OPS. You could almost live with that if you thought he would remain that consistent.

    But, that is before you calculate the lack of hitting from Alex Bregman (.213/.302/.280) and Jake Meyers (.220/.273/.415). Meyers may not play every day — thankfully, that job belongs to Chas McCormick, who is finally starting to see his numbers turn around; and Mauricio Dubon, who is one of the best clutch hitters on the team — but when he does, he is little to no help. Bregman is the most galling. In his free agent year, he looks like he showed up ready to take a discount to remain in Houston. He pops up more often than new taco trucks.

    When you have that many holes in your lineup, it’s tough to string together any kind of crooked-number innings and this team is definitely not doing that.

    Jeff Balke

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  • Framber Valdez to Miss Start with Elbow Soreness

    Framber Valdez to Miss Start with Elbow Soreness

    It is possible that 2024 becomes the year of the serious pitcher injury. Let’s hope the list of players that already includes Spencer Strider (Braves), Shane Bieber (Guardians) and Jonathan Loaisiga (Yankees) does not suddenly add Astros starter Framber Valdez.

    On Monday ahead of Valdez’ scheduled start in Arlington against the Rangers, the Astros announced he would be replaced by minor leaguer Blair Henley, who will make his major league debut against the Rangers.

    Both manager Joe Espada and GM Dana Brown said Valdez felt the soreness in his pitching arm while playing catch over the weekend. The pain had not subsided by Monday morning, so he was scratched and sent back to Houston for additional testing. They told reporters Monday afternoon that they did not place him on the IL because they believe he could return sooner rather than later.

    This comes on the heels of an early-season raft of serious injuries to some of the league’s best pitchers. After his rehab start at Sugar Land on Sunday, Justin Verlander, who started the season on the IL with shoulder soreness that caused him to start Spring Training late, spent five minutes discussing the problem calling it a “pandemic.”

    It’s gotten bad enough that Major League Baseball is looking at the data and planning a task force to address concerns ranging from the pitch clock — something the Major League Baseball Players’ Association believes is a serious issue — to the race to increase pitch velocity and spin rate that could be exacerbating existing problems. Other pitchers have brought up the slickness of the baseball that causes them to grip down harder when making pitches.

    Whatever the cause, baseball is certainly feeling it early in the season. The Astros are still waiting on the return of Jose Urquidy, who is trying to return from a right forearm injury suffered in Spring Training and Luis Garcia is on pace to be back with the team sometime in the middle of 2024 after having surgery to repair his throwing elbow hurt early in the 2023 season.

    The Astros do have a lot of starting pitchers, or at least starters with starting experience, on the roster including Brandon Bielak and the surprising Ronel Blanco. Verlander should return within about 10 days as well.

    But Valdez remains one of the team’s best pitchers. Any lost time would be a huge blow to the Astros postseason hopes.

    Jeff Balke

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  • Astros Fall on Opening Day 2024 to Yankees 5-4: Four Thoughts

    Astros Fall on Opening Day 2024 to Yankees 5-4: Four Thoughts

    The Astros opened the 2024 season against conference rivals the New York Yankees on Thursday, dropping the home opener 5-4. It was a tale of two halves of baseball with the Astros dominating early then falling behind despite a late surge.

    It was manager Joe Espada’s first game as skipper and not without some measure of controversy, but, ultimately, the uneven performance from some of his marquee players cost them their first game of 2024. Here are some thoughts.

    Fast start not enough to overcome nine walks.

    The ‘Stros rocketed out to a fast start with three runs in the first and another in the second courtesy of a solo shot from Jake Meyers, all off of lefty starter Nestor Cortez, Jr. The second half of the lineup did most of the damage with RBI from Chaz McCormick, Yainer Diaz and Meyers.

    Unfortunately, the early burst of offense wasn’t enough to save them from the lack of pitching control. Framber Valdez tied his career high with six walks (and had one hit batter) over four-and-two-thirds innings, giving up three runs and striking out five. Three of his first four walks came on four pitches. After Rafael Montero gave up a solo homer, Ryan Pressly gave up a run on two hits and a walk. Pitchers scattered nine total walks over the game. They did that only once in 2023. It could have been worse for Valdez who managed to coax three double plays to get out of trouble, before he wasn’t able to any longer.

    Offense wasn’t the problem, exactly.

    Of the Astros one through five hitters, only Yordan Alvarez had two hits. The other four were 3-17 with a pair of walks. Conversely, the bottom of the order was 7-14. Diaz had three hits and Jeremy Peña had two. As mentioned, Meyers had a 415-foot blast onto the train tracks in left field on his first at bat.

    The problem was timely hitting. They left nine on base and were unable to score a single run after the second inning despite 13 hits and a pair of walks. It was a frustrating game at the plate in some respects, but also provided some hope that this team will be able to rake on most nights.

    Joe Espada made his mark for better and worse.

    The new manager promised to be more aggressive and that was evident in his first game. In the ninth, third base coach Gary Pettis waved Mauricio Dubon on a single from Kyle Tucker with one out. Right fielder Juan Soto fired a BB to the plate that just got Dubon. Replays were inconclusive, but it looked like he was tagged out at home.

    But, the most curious move was substituting Jon Singleton for Meyers in the bottom of the sixth inning with two on and two out. Espada said that it was a calculated move as righty reliever Jonathan Loáisiga is one of the best pitchers against right handers in the big leagues while being only mediocre against lefties. Singleton hit a weak ground ball to end the inning. While Loáisiga may be less-than-perfect against lefties, one does wonder why the Astros would think Singleton, who has never hit for average and is less than a year removed from being put on waivers after being out of baseball, was the right choice.

    Josh Hader was electric (and the South African kid wasn’t bad either).
    One thing went right and that was the first appearance of newly-signed closer Josh Hader. He entered the game in the ninth and struck out all three batters on 13 pitches. It looked almost easy. If there was any question about whether Hader is the Astros closer, this one outing should end that speculation entirely. His outing came on the heels of Tayler Scott, a South Africa native who just learned he made the 26-man roster on Thursday. He was fantastic in the eighth with one walk and one K.

    Jeff Balke

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  • Alvarez blasts Baker, Astros to World Series title vs Phils

    Alvarez blasts Baker, Astros to World Series title vs Phils

    HOUSTON — Yordan Alvarez hit a moon shot that sent Space City into a frenzy, and the Houston Astros to their second World Series title.

    While the stain on Houston’s first championship might never completely fade, Alvarez’s majestic three-run homer helped fashion a fresh crown for the Astros — and the first for Dusty Baker as manager — in a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 6 on Saturday night.

    “What happened before, it doesn’t ever pass over completely,” said Baker, the veteran manager hired by the Astros in the wake of their sign-stealing scandal. “But we have turned the page and hopefully we’ll continue this run.”

    Alvarez blasted a ball over the 40-foot batter’s eye in center field during the sixth inning immediately after Phillies starter Zack Wheeler was pulled with a 1-0 lead.

    As Alvarez’s 450-foot shot sailed, Astros starter Framber Valdez jumped and wildly screamed in the dugout while the crowd of 42,958 went crazy waving orange rally towels.

    “When I was rounding second base, I felt the whole stadium moving,” Alvarez said through a translator.

    The 73-year-old Baker finally got his first title in his 25th season as a manager. He’s spent the past three with the Astros after they hired him to help the team regain credibility after their trash can banging scheme cost manager A.J. Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow their jobs, and made Houston the most reviled team in baseball.

    “I wasn’t here in 2017, but it’s definitely a weight off of everybody’s shoulders. Ain’t nobody can say (anything) now,” said closer Ryan Pressly, who finished the Series with another scoreless inning.

    Baker, who won a World Series as a player with the Los Angeles Dodgers and had been to the Fall Classic twice before as a skipper, is the oldest championship manager in any of the four major North American sports. The win came 20 years after a near-miss, when he came within five outs of taking the title while guiding the San Francisco Giants.

    “What’s next? I said if I win one, I want to win two,” Baker said afterward.

    Houston’s coaching and training staffs circled around Baker after Nick Castellanos flied out to end it, jumping up and down, and chanting “Dusty! Dusty! Dusty!” in the dugout before they joined the players on the field.

    Astros rookie shortstop Jeremy Peña was the World Series MVP after getting another key hit, a single to set up Alvarez’s homer.

    The 25-year-old star born in the Dominican Republic also won a Gold Glove award and AL Championship Series MVP — Peña is the first hitter to win those three awards in a career, and he did it all in his first season, per OptaSTATS.

    Jerseys worn by Peña and Baker during the Series were headed to the Hall of Fame.

    A year after watching the Atlanta Braves clinch the World Series title at Minute Maid Park, Justin Verlander and the Astros went 11-2 in the postseason and became the first team to seal the championship at home since the 2013 Boston Red Sox.

    Alvarez homered for the first time since going deep in the first two games this postseason. Christian Vázquez added an RBI single later in the inning to make it 4-1.

    Valdez earned his second win of this Series. He had been in the dugout only a few minutes after throwing his 93rd and final pitch while striking out nine over six innings.

    But the lefty had walked off the mound with the wild-card Phillies up 1-0 on Kyle Schwarber’s homer leading off the sixth.

    Schwarber, who hit his third homer in the past four games, rounded the bases waving his raised empty hand in the same motion as the fans with their towels.

    But by the time Schwarber batted in the eighth, the NL’s home run leader was reduced to bunting, trying for a hit to stir a dormant Phillies offense. His bunt went foul with two strikes, resulting in a strikeout.

    In the sixth, Houston got two runners on base against Wheeler for the first time in the game, when Martín Maldonado was hit by a pitch, Jose Altuve grounded into a forceout and Peña singled.

    Phillies manager Rob Thomson went to left-handed reliever José Alvarado to face the lefty slugger for the fourth time in the series — Alvarez had popped out twice and been hit by a pitch the first three times.

    “I thought Wheels still had really good stuff. It wasn’t about that. It was just I thought the matchup was better with Alvarado on Alvarez at that time,” Thomson said.

    And Alvarado had allowed only three homers to lefty hitters in his six big league seasons, until his 2-1 pitch, when Alvarez crushed the 99 mph sinker.

    “It’s kind of a dirty inning and I thought, I mean, going into the series it was always kind of Alvarado on Alvarez,” Thomson said. “It was the sixth inning and I felt like the normal back end of the bullpen guys could get through it.”

    Alvarez hadn’t homered since Game 2 of the AL Division Series against Seattle, when his two-run shot in the sixth inning put them up to stay. That came after his game-ending, three-run shot in Game 1 for an 8-7 win.

    Houston won an American League-best 106 games and reached its fourth World Series during a span in which it made it to the AL Championship Series six seasons in a row. The Astros made their only other World Series appearance in 2005, while still in the National League, and were swept in four games by the Chicago White Sox.

    This was their third ALCS and second consecutive World Series since former Astros pitcher Mike Fiers revealed after the 2019 season, when he had gone from Houston for two years since being part of their 2017 championship, that the team had used a camera in center field to steal signs and signal hitters on which pitches to expect by banging on a garbage can.

    “That will probably never go away but I think this just proves how good this team is and how good it’s been for a long time,” Astros owner Jim Crane said on the field afterward.

    Philadelphia was 22-29 when Joe Girardi was fired in early June and replaced by bench coach Thomson, the 59-year-old baseball lifer getting his first chance a big league manager — he was on the Yankees big league staff for 10 seasons with Girardi, and was part of their last World Series and title in 2009.

    The Phillies finished the regular season 65-46 under Thomson, their 87 wins good for the sixth and final spot in the NL playoffs, on the way to their first World Series since 2009.

    UP NEXT

    Phillies: In less than five months, the Phillies will be back in Texas to begin their 2023 regular season, about 250 miles away for the opener of an interleague series March 30 against the Texas Rangers.

    Astros: Whether or not Baker and/or general manager James Click are back — neither is signed past this season — the World Series champs will play their 2023 season opener at home March 30 against the Chicago White Sox.

    ———

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  • Astros burst ahead, beat Phillies 5-2, tie World Series 1-1

    Astros burst ahead, beat Phillies 5-2, tie World Series 1-1

    HOUSTON — Framber Valdez made a five-run lead stand up after Houston’s lightning first-inning burst, Alex Bregman homered and the Astros beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-2 Saturday night to tie the World Series at one game apiece.

    Just like in Game 1, the Astros rushed to a 5-0 lead. Unlike ace Justin Verlander in the opener, Valdez and Houston held on.

    Valdez rebounded from a pair of poor outings in last year’s Series to pitch shutout ball into the seventh, and the bullpen survived a couple of jams to close things out.

    “Framber did a great job,” said Jose Altuve, who broke out of a 4-for-37 postseason slump with three hits. “Just amazing performance by him and our bullpen, as well.”

    Altuve, Jeremy Peña and Yordan Alvarez all doubled as Houston took a two-run lead four pitches in against Zack Wheeler. A throwing error by shortstop Edmundo Sosa allowed another run in the first, and Bregman added a two-run homer in the fifth.

    A day after coming back for a 6-5 win in 10 innings, Philadelphia tried to rally in this one, too.

    With the Phillies trailing by four runs, Kyle Schwarber hit a drive deep down the right-field line with a man on in the eighth against Rafael Montero that was originally ruled a two-run homer by right field line umpire James Hoye.

    First base umpire Tripp Gibson at first signaled for umps to conference and the call was reversed on a crew chief review when it was determined the ball was just to the foul side of the pole.

    Schwarber, who led the NL with 46 home runs this season and added three more in the playoffs, then hit a long drive that was caught at the right field wall.

    Ryan Pressly finished the combined six-hitter, giving up a run on an error by first baseman Yuli Gurriel on Brandon Marsh’s grounder.

    Following the split in Houston, the Series resumes Monday night when Citizens Bank Park hosts the Series for the first time since 2009.

    Of 61 previous Series tied 1-1, the Game 2 winner went on to the title 31 times — but just four of the last 14.

    After struggling to a 19.29 ERA in a pair of Series starts in last year’s six-game loss to Atlanta, Valdez pitched with polish and poise. His cheeks glistening with sweat, the 28-year-old left-hander struck out nine and walked three, allowing four hits in 6 1/3 innings.

    He blew by batters with a fastball averaging 95.6 mph and baffled them with his curve, which got six of his strikeouts — three of them looking. Unusually, he changed his glove and spikes mid-outing.

    When the Phillies put two runners on for the only time against him in the sixth, Valdez struck out Game 1 star J.T. Realmuto with high heat, then got Bryce Harper to bounce a first-pitch sinker into an inning-ending double play.

    “His sinker was fantastic. His curveball was pretty good,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “His putaway pitches were good.”

    Thomson didn’t take issue with Valdez rubbing his palm — social media was abuzz, wondering if there was some substance there.

    “The umpires check these guys after almost every inning and if there’s something going on MLB will take care of it,” Thomson said. “We saw it the last time he started, too.”

    Nick Castellanos led off the Phillies seventh with a double and Valdez left after a groundout advanced the runner. Montero allowed Jean Segura’s sacrifice fly to the left-field warning track.

    A day after the deflating defeat, the Astros came out swinging and became the first team to open a Series game with three straight extra-base hits.

    Altuve lined a sinker into left, and Peña drove a curveball into the left-field corner for a 1-0 lead.

    Alvarez fouled off a pitch and drove a slider high off the 19-foot wall in left.

    “I was pulling for a fourth, actually,” Baker said. “Try to score as many runs as you can. Because you know Wheeler is one of the tougher guys in baseball.”

    Wheeler should have escaped down just 2-0, but shortstop Edmundo Sosa bounced his throw to first on Gurriel’s three-hopper for an error, the ball glancing off the mitt of first baseman Rhys Hoskins.

    Bregman, healthy after two injury-hampered seasons, hit a two-run homer to left in the fifth when Wheeler left a slider over the middle of the plate. Bregman has six career Series homers and three this postseason with nine RBIs.

    Wheeler gave up five runs — four earned — six hits and three walks in five innings, a day after Aaron Nola struggled.

    “I think everybody deserves a poor start every once in a while,” Thomson said. “Those guys have been so good for us for so long, and I fully expect them to come back and be ready to go and pitch well for us.”

    BIG DIFFERENCE

    Houston won 106 games during the season and Philadelphia 87, the second-highest win disparity in the Series behind the 93-win Chicago White Sox beat the 116-win Cubs in 1906.

    UP NEXT

    RHP Noah Syndergaard will start Game 3 for the Phillies and RHP Lance McCullers Jr. for the Astros. Phillies LHP Ranger Suárez will take the mound for Game 4, and likely LHP Cristian Javier for Houston.

    ———

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  • Realmuto, Phils rally past Astros in 10 to open World Series

    Realmuto, Phils rally past Astros in 10 to open World Series

    HOUSTON — A timely swing by J.T. Realmuto propelled the Philadelphia Phillies to an unlikely win in the World Series opener.

    A terrific stab by right fielder Nick Castellanos gave him that shot.

    Realmuto hit a solo home run in the 10th inning and the Phillies, saved by Castellanos’ sliding catch, rallied past the Houston Astros 6-5 Friday night.

    Down 5-0 early against Astros ace Justin Verlander, the Phillies became the first team in 20 years to overcome a five-run deficit to win a World Series game.

    They can thank Castellanos for getting the chance. Known much more for his bat than glove, he rushed in to make a game-saving grab on Jeremy Peña’s blooper with two outs in the ninth inning and a runner on second.

    “All in all, it was a great game, a great come from behind victory, and it just showed the resilience of the club again and how tough they are and they just never quit,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said.

    Realmuto, who hit a tying, two-run double in the fifth off Verlander, completed the comeback when he led off the 10th by sending a fastball from Luis García into the seats.

    Realmuto hoped for the best as he saw right fielder Kyle Tucker pursuing the ball.

    “Once I saw him running back to the wall, I was thinking in my head, ‘Oh, please just don’t catch it, just don’t catch it.’”

    He didn’t, the ball sailing just beyond his reach.

    Realmuto circled the bases in a scene he dreamed about as a kid.

    “Oh, absolutely. Yeah. Absolutely. I mean Wiffle Ball games in the backyard, the whole 3-2, bases-loaded, two-out situation. I probably had 7,000 at-bats in that situation growing up,” he said.

    And did he usually deliver?

    “Every time, yes,” Realmuto said, laughing.

    Realmuto became the first catcher to hit an extra-inning home run in the World Series since Carlton Fisk waved his walk-off fair in the 12th inning of Game 6 in the 1975 Series against Cincinnati at Fenway Park.

    Big-hitting Bryce Harper added two singles for the Phillies in his World Series debut. The two-time NL MVP is batting .426 (20 for 47) with five homers this postseason.

    Tucker homered twice for the Astros, who had been 7-0 in this postseason.

    “Disappointing, yeah, for sure,” Verlander said. “I need to do better. No excuses.”

    Houston had a chance in the 10th when Alex Bregman doubled with one out. After Yuli Gurriel drew a two-out walk, David Robertson bounced a wild pitch that put runners on second and third.

    Pinch-hitter Aledmys Díaz was then hit by a 2-0 pitch from David Robertson — but plate umpire James Hoye ruled that Díaz leaned into the pitch and didn’t permit him to go to first to load the bases.

    Díaz grounded out on a 3-1 pitch to end it.

    The last team to blow a 5-0 lead in the World Series was the 2002 San Francisco Giants, who squandered their chance in Game 6 to close out the Angels and win the title under manager Dusty Baker.

    Baker saw it happen again this time as manager of the Astros, by the same 6-5 final score.

    The 106-win Astros hadn’t lost to anyone since Philadelphia beat them on Oct. 3 behind Aaron Nola to clinch a wild-card spot as a third-place team and earn its first playoff trip in 11 years.

    Houston raced out to a big lead thanks in large part to Tucker’s two homers. But the Phillies stormed back as Verlander again struggled in the World Series.

    Perfect as he took a 5-0 lead into the fourth, he exited after the fifth with the score 5-all. That left him 0-6 with a 6.07 ERA in eight career World Series starts — hardly the line for a pitcher who’s expected to soon pick up his third Cy Young Award.

    The Astros fell to 0-5 in World Series openers and dropped their first game this postseason after sweeping in the AL Division Series and AL Championship Series.

    Seranthony Domínguez pitched a scoreless ninth to get the win when Castellanos made his stellar play.

    With Jose Altuve on second base after his two-out single and stolen base, Peña hit a ball that came off the bat at 68 mph and went only about 200 feet. Castellanos ran a long way, then with a lunge made the inning-ending catch while sliding to the ground.

    Right before the pitch, Castellanos moved in a little closer.

    “That was just what my instincts told me to do. I just thought he had a better chance of trying to bloop something in there than torching something over my head,” he said.

    In the opener of the NL Division Series against Atlanta, Castellanos drove in three runs and helped preserve the lead with a somewhat similar catch in the ninth of that 7-6 win.

    “I’ve had a couple people say that it seemed like a carbon copy of each other,” he said. “But I’m just happy that an out was made and we were able to go on and win both those games.”

    In the World Series for the fourth time in six years — and after losing to Atlanta in six games last year — these Astros are looking to give Baker his first title as a manager and get their second championship after winning it in 2017, a title tainted by a sign-stealing scandal.

    The surprising Phillies, who have two championships, are in the World Series for the first time since 2009. They bounced back from a 21-29 start that led to manager Joe Girardi’s firing.

    Tucker had the orange-clad home crowd rocking early as he became the first player in franchise history with a multi-home run game in the World Series. One of the few players in the majors to hit without batting gloves and suddenly exuding attitude, he had four RBIs a year after finishing the Fall Classic without one.

    The normally mild-mannered Tucker punctuated his first homer with a nifty bat flip and mixed in an expletive as he screamed toward the dugout while beginning his trot.

    Nola took a perfect game into the seventh inning in his last trip to Minute Maid Park, more than three weeks ago when Philadelphia secured its first playoff spot since 2011. Things didn’t go nearly as smooth in his return Friday.

    Tucker sent an off-speed pitch from Nola soaring high and into the seats in right field to put Houston up 1-0 with no outs in the second. Gurriel, Chas McCormick and Martín Maldonado added singles for another run.

    Peña, the ALCS MVP, doubled to open Houston’s third before Yordan Alvarez grounded out. He was initially ruled safe, but the Phillies challenged the call, and it was overturned.

    Bregman, who was Nola’s roommate at LSU, walked before Tucker went deep again, knocking a ball into the stands behind the bullpen in right-center to extend it to 5-0.

    Verlander, who had an MLB-best 1.75 ERA in the regular season, allowed six hits and five runs in five innings. He joined Roger Clemens as the only pitchers in major league history to make a World Series start in three different decades but still could not claim that elusive World Series win. Friday was his 12th career start in a postseason series opener, tying him with Jon Lester for most in MLB history.

    Verlander, who started his third Series opener, retired the first 10 batters before Rhys Hoskins singled with one out in the fourth. Harper and Castellanos singled for a run and Alec Bohm hit a two-run double to cut the lead to 5-3.

    Brandon Marsh opened the fifth with a double before Kyle Schwarber walked. Realmuto sent them both home with a double off the wall in left-center to tie it at 5-all.

    UP NEXT

    Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler opposes Framber Valdez when the series continues Saturday night.

    ———

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  • World Series teed up: Harper, Phillies go deep, face Astros

    World Series teed up: Harper, Phillies go deep, face Astros

    Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber breaking the Bank in Philly. Yordan Alvarez launching moonshots in H-Town.

    Dusty Baker trying for a most elusive win. Justin Verlander, too. A fired-up Harper and All-Stars J.T. Realmuto and Zack Wheeler, stepping onto baseball’s biggest platform for the first time.

    Yo! The Philadelphia Phillies, of all teams, are headed to the World Series. Against those back-for-more Houston Astros, y’all.

    A pretty tasty matchup starting Friday night at Minute Maid Park, a Fall Classic full of vibrant sights, scents and sounds.

    Think cheesesteaks, hoagies and water ice vs. BBQ brisket, Tex-Mex and Blue Bell ice cream.

    The Phanatic and Phils fans need a late rally at Citizens Bank Park? Dial up something from “Rocky.” Want to party in Houston? Sing and clap along with mascot Orbit to Moe Bandy’s bouncy “Deep in the Heart of Texas” during the seventh-inning stretch.

    Harper already has hit five home runs this postseason. In the signature swing of his career, his eighth-inning drive against San Diego on Sunday in Game 5 sent the Phillies into the World Series for the first time since 2009 and earned him the NL Championship Series MVP.

    The Astros are 7-0 this postseason after finishing off a four-game sweep of the New York Yankees in the AL Championship Series. Alex Bregman’s go-ahead single keyed a 6-5 win Sunday night.

    After losing the World Series last year, Houston opened as a solid favorite to win the title this year, according to FanDuel.

    Odds are, crowd might witness a Schwar-bomb or the Chas Chomp along the way.

    But no possibility of seeing a sibling rivalry. Astros reliever Phil Maton broke a finger on his pitching hand when he punched his locker after a shaky performance in the regular-season finale, an outing that included giving up a hit to his younger brother, Phils utilityman Nick Maton.

    City of Brotherly Love, not so much. But a nice treat for fans in both cities: The Philadelphia Eagles, the NFL’s only unbeaten team, visit the Houston Texans on the travel day between Games 5 and 6, if those are needed.

    Weather won’t be an issue with the retractable roof in Houston. No telling what the elements will be with the open air in Philly.

    With the likes of Jose Altuve, ALCS MVP Jeremy Peña, Rhys Hoskins and Alec Bohm, this World Series is a best-of-seven matchup representing some of the game’s best present and future. Plus a good piece of the past — remember, these teams have played each other nearly 600 times.

    There was the thrilling 1980 NL Championship Series, when Mike Schmidt, Pete Rose, Steve Carlton and the Fightin’ Phils outlasted Nolan Ryan at the Astrodome on the way to their first World Series title.

    Years later, closers Brad Lidge, Billy Wagner, Mitch Williams and Ken Giles spent time with both clubs. So did future Hall of Famers Joe Morgan and Robin Roberts.

    And this neat piece of history — the Phillies were the first team to ever beat Houston, back in 1962 when the expansion Colt .45s lost at Connie Mack Stadium.

    Funny, the Phillies are also the most recent team to beat the Astros. Way back on Oct. 3, Philadelphia opened the final series of the regular season with a 3-0 win at Houston, with Schwarber homering twice as Aaron Nola outpitched Lance McCullers Jr.

    The Astros then closed out an AL-best 106-56 record by winning the next two behind Verlander and Framber Valdez — Philadelphia still leads 297-283 in their head-to-head matchups, mostly all before Houston moved from the National League to the American League in 2013.

    Houston then swept Seattle in the AL Division Series and the Yankees in the ALCS featuring its winning formula of imposing starting pitching, a dominant bullpen and a lineup full of home run hitters such as Alvarez and Kyle Tucker.

    This marks the Astros’ fourth trip to the World Series in six years and their only title in 2017 was tainted by an illegal sign-stealing scandal. Last season, they lost to Freddie Freeman and the underdog Atlanta Braves in six games.

    At 73 and in his 25th season as a manager, Baker is looking for a crown to cap his ample resume.

    “I mean, victories drive me. And I’ll get it,” he said during the ALCS. “You can’t rush it before it gets here because it ain’t here yet. So you just got to put yourself in a position to do it.”

    Verlander, the likely AL Cy Young Award winner after bouncing back from Tommy John surgery, is hoping to improve his 0-6 mark in seven career World Series starts.

    The Phillies, meanwhile, looked like a big zero this year before getting to this point in October.

    Stuck at 21-29 going into June, they fired manager Joe Girardi a few days later and put the interim tag on bench coach Rob Thomson. Then suddenly, the Phillies took off.

    They overcame Harper’s broken thumb, sidelining the two-time NL MVP for two months, beat out Milwaukee for the final playoff spot in going 87-75, and quickly topped NL Central champion St. Louis in the wild-card round. Philadelphia eliminated defending World Series champ Atlanta in the NLDS and topped San Diego in the NLCS.

    Now, with Thomson having been rewarded with a two-year contract, the Phillies are the first third-place team in baseball history to reach the World Series.

    Philadelphia lost to the Yankees in its last trip this far. A year earlier in 2008, Lidge capped off his remarkable year of going 48 for 48 in save chances to close out the Phillies’ second title as a team led by Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard beat Tampa Bay in five games.

    Spurred by their rollicking home crowd, Harper and this bunch of Phils hope to add another banner.

    Thomson is trying to join Jack McKeon (Marlins, 2003) and Bob Lemon (Yankees, 1978) as the only managers hired in midseason to win the title. To the 59-year-old Thomson, it’s not such a surprise his team is in this position.

    “Coming out of spring training … we knew we had a good ballclub. We knew our bullpen was good, rotation was good, we had great offense,” he said earlier in the playoffs. “We just got off to a little bit of a slow start and kind of spiraled.”

    “And we had ups and downs during the season, just like any other club does. But they knew that they were going to come out of it at some point and start winning again. And we did,” he said.

    —————

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  • MLB Playoffs: Astros seek 2-0 lead vs Yanks; NLCS tied, off

    MLB Playoffs: Astros seek 2-0 lead vs Yanks; NLCS tied, off

    Justin Verlander and the Houston Astros got the jump on the New York Yankees again.

    Now they’ll try to take a 2-0 lead in the AL Championship Series when All-Star lefty Framber Valdez pitches against Yankees right-hander Luis Severino on Thursday night in Houston.

    It’s a day off in the NLCS, with the Padres and Phillies tied 1-all as their best-of-seven series shifts from San Diego to Philadelphia for three games beginning Friday night.

    Verlander recovered from a rocky start and struck out 11 over six strong innings to lead the Astros past the Yankees 4-2 on Wednesday night.

    Yuli Gurriel launched a tiebreaking homer in the sixth. Chas McCormick and rookie Jeremy Peña also went deep as the AL West champions improved to 4-0 in the playoffs after going 106-56 during the regular season.

    It was a familiar result in the power struggle between the teams over the past few years.

    Houston knocked New York out of the playoffs in 2015, 2017 and 2019 before going 5-2 against the Yankees during the 2022 regular season.

    This is the sixth straight ALCS appearance for the Astros, their third meeting with the Yankees during that span.

    Houston is trying to reach the World Series for the second consecutive season and fourth time in six years. New York hasn’t made it since beating the Phillies in 2009 for the most recent of its 27 championships.

    Verlander set a major league record with his eighth double-digit strikeout game in the postseason. He passed Clayton Kershaw (213) to become the career leader in postseason strikeouts with 219.

    New York whiffed 17 times in all to only two for the Astros — the largest difference ever in a postseason game.

    “They’re obviously really dynamic,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Outstanding starting pitching, but can shorten the game with the best of ’em. So we’ve got to find a way to break through against them.”

    Valdez went 17-6 with a 2.82 ERA during the regular season. He led the American League with 201 1/3 innings pitched and three complete games. In Game 2 of the Division Series against Seattle, he allowed four hits and two runs over 5 2/3 innings.

    Severino was 7-3 with a 3.18 ERA in 19 starts this season. He yielded eight hits and three runs over 5 2/3 innings in Game 3 of the ALDS versus Cleveland.

    Here’s what else to know about the MLB playoffs Thursday:

    THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE (All times ET)

    ALCS Game 2: New York Yankees at Houston, 7:37 p.m., TBS

    OH, BROTHER!

    In danger of heading to Philadelphia down 0-2 in the NLCS, the Padres produced another huge rally in front of their rowdy fans to put some punch into the all-wild card matchup.

    Brandon Drury hit a go-ahead, two-run single during a five-run outburst in the fifth inning and San Diego stunned Aaron Nola and the Phillies 8-5 on Wednesday to tie the NLCS at one game apiece.

    The fifth-inning surge started with Padres catcher Austin Nola hitting an RBI single off his younger brother that brought the sellout, towel-twirling crowd of 44,607 to life after San Diego trailed 4-0 early.

    Drury and Josh Bell hit back-to-back homers. Manny Machado went deep late.

    The rally was similar to the one the Padres pulled off Saturday night, when they scored five runs in the seventh inning of a 5-3 victory that eliminated the 111-win Los Angeles Dodgers.

    Joe Musgrove is scheduled to start Game 3 for his hometown Padres against Ranger Suarez.

    STILL SLUMPING

    Astros star Jose Altuve, a three-time batting champion, went 0 for 3 with a walk in Game 1 against the Yankees and is 0 for 19 this postseason.

    The 2017 AL MVP hit .300 with 28 homers during the regular season.

    “Jose, he’s due to break out and have some remarkable games,” Houston manager Dusty Baker said. “This guy has been good for so long, and sometimes the rest of your lineup’s got to carry a guy like that until he gets going.”

    OFFSEASON INJURY UPDATES

    José Ramírez didn’t let a torn thumb ligament stop him from leading the Guardians during a surprising season.

    Cleveland’s All-Star third baseman played the second half — as well as the team’s playoff run that ended Tuesday in the AL Division Series — with a torn right thumb ligament that will require surgery.

    Meanwhile, the Seattle Mariners will head into the offseason with four key players needing downtime or surgery to heal injuries, including AL Rookie of the Year favorite Julio Rodríguez. The star center fielder broke his left pinkie during the Game 3 loss to Houston that ended their AL Division Series.

    The Guardians said Ramírez injured the ulnar collateral ligament in his thumb during a June game in Los Angeles. The 30-year-old could have opted for surgery, which would have sidelined him for two months, but decided to keep playing.

    He’ll have an operation in the next few weeks. Renowned hand specialist Dr. Thomas Graham will perform the surgery in Dayton, Ohio.

    The Guardians said the rehab will not significantly impact Ramírez’s offseason training or availability for next season.

    Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said an exit exam this week revealed the injury to the 21-year-old Rodríguez, but he’s not expected to need surgery. He got hurt sliding headfirst into second base on a double in the eighth inning of what became an 18-inning marathon defeat.

    Also needing downtime to recover from injuries are Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh (left thumb) and standout reliever Andrés Muñoz (foot), while outfielder Jesse Winker has already undergone one of two operations needed to repair injuries to his left knee and neck that he dealt with during the season.

    ———

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