The Houston Astros are the 2022 World Series champions. The Astros defeated the visiting Philadelphia Phillies in Game 6 on Saturday night, when he defeated them 4-1, taking the series to 2 by 4. For Houston, Flamber Valdez was nearly perfect until he hit a solo homer off Kyle Schwarber in the sixth inning to give the Phillies a 1–0 lead. However, the deficit was short-lived. In the bottom of the sixth, Astros slugger Jordan Alvarez hit a three-run homer off Phillies reliever Jose Alvarado to give Houston a 3-1 lead and the lockdown bullpen wouldn’t let go.
Adding to Valdes and Alvarez’s performances, rookie shortstop Jeremy Peña had two hits and a home run for Alvarez. This is his second World Series title for his franchise with the Astros. The other he occurred in 2017, a season it was later discovered the Astros illegally stole signs.
Here are some takeaways from the clinchers in Houston.
Jordan Alvarez dropped the bomb on Hope in Philadelphia
With 2 on 1 out, Phillies manager Rob Thomson held up ace Zach Wheeler in favor of power lefty Jose Alvarado. Alvarado enjoyed a platoon advantage over his first batter, Yordan Alvarez, but as we will see, it didn’t matter much.
Yes, it’s a game-changing home run 450 feet to center field. It was a clutch blast, and it wouldn’t be the first time this postseason for Alvarez.
When Alvarez stepped to the plate in the sixth, the game was basically a 50-for-50 coin toss. After he hit his three runs and touched the plate, the Astros won the game with his 84.3% chance of winning the World Series. That’s exactly what happened.
Schwalber sabotages pitcher duel, gives hope to Phillies
Round 6 starters Flamber Valdez and Zach Wheeler matched each other up to 6th place. It looked, felt and smelled like his one in a game handed over as his tie scoreless in the bullpen. But when Valdes made his third appearance in the Philly lineup, Schwalber was not in the mood for acceptance in the top of the sixth. At the 2-2 count, Valdez faced Schwalber with a low inside sinker and Schwalber turned it around in the game’s first run.
One left the bat at 107.3 mph and traveled 395 feet. Schwalber’s home run was the first home run allowed by Valdez at his maid’s park since July 3, and his second time in a year that a left-hander hit a home run off of him.
It was Schwalber’s 3rd home run in this World Series and 6th in the 2022 postseason. Speaking of which, here’s a fresh bit of history for the series:
But most importantly, the Phillies now have their first lead since Game 3. Unfortunately for Philly, it didn’t last.
Houston’s pitching was elite in the final game of the series
Pitching depth is the Astros’ playoff calling card, and he played mostly to type in October and November of this year. That depth created an edge in the final three games of this series, as Houston’s pitching limited the Phillies to a total of three runs in Games 4, 5, and 6 combined (two of which were Schwalber’s runs). was a solo home run). Of course, in Game 4, the Astros combined for a no-hitter.
The Astros join the next tier of the franchise
A win in Game 6 meant the Astros became the 21st MLB franchise to win multiple World Series titles. (Coincidentally, the Phillies also have two). Of course, the Astros haven’t been around very long in terms of his MLB franchise. Their first season he was in 1962. No team in an expansion franchise (that is, one founded in the first round of expansion after 1962) holds more than one title. The Astros currently join the Mets, Blue Jays, Marlins and Royals as expansion teams, winning multiple titles.
Baker joined an elite firm and supposedly secured a spot in the hall
The Astros skipper joined Blue Jays’ Cito Gaston (1992 and 1993) and Dodgers’ Dave Roberts (2020) to become just the third black manager in MLB history to win a World Series.
Baker has been consistently winning in the dugout for almost a quarter of a century. He has his 2,093 wins and has led five different clubs to his division title and his berth in the postseason. Baker was probably already on his way to Cooperstown one day (and this is to say nothing of his stellar career as a player). Baker was five out until he won the World Series with the Giants in 2002. Who would have expected him to finish his job after 20 years?
