Good morning to everyone but especially to...
THE HOUSTON ASTROS...
The Astros put their star power and their depth on display in Game 1 of the ALCS, beating the Yankees 4-2. Justin Verlander, the likely AL Cy Young winner, shook off a second-inning Harrison Bader home run to go six innings, allowing just the one run and striking out 11. His 215 career postseason strikeouts are most in MLB history.
Martin Maldonado doubled home Chas McCormick to tie things at one in the second, and Yuli Gurriel's sixth-inning solo shot gave Houston the lead. Two batters later, McCormick doubled the lead with his own solo home run.Jeremy Peña homered in the seventh to give the Astros plenty of breathing room, which proved valuable when Anthony Rizzo hit a solo bomb in the eighth.The Yankees struck out 17 times compared to the Astros' two. It's the largest difference ever in a postseason game.Game 2 is tonight, with Luis Severino and Framber Valdez starting.
... AND ALSO A GOOD MORNING TO THE SAN DIEGO PADRES
The Padres got up off the mat, dusted themselves off and played their best when the occasion called for it. After getting shut out in Game 1 and going down 4-0 early in Game 2 Wednesday, San Diego blasted its way past Philadelphia, 8-5, to knot the NLCS at one game apiece.
Brandon Drury and Josh Bell started the comeback with home runs on back-to-back pitches in the second inning.The Padres then scored five runs in the fifth inning, tying their record for a postseason inning. Austin Nola (facing his brother, Aaron), Juan Soto, Drury and Bell all registered RBI hits.Manny Machado crushed a solo home run in the seventh inning.Blake Snell soldiered through five innings before San Diego's bullpen finished things off. The Padres' bullpen has a 2.05 ERA this postseason.After using the long ball to close the gap, the Padres used small ball -- and their deep lineup -- to take control, writes MLB expert Mike Axisa.
Axisa: "Four of the first five hitters (Aaron) Nola faced in that fifth inning had hits, including (Austin) Nola and Soto in two-strike counts. That's why you gut the farm system to get the 23-year-old generational hitter, so he can help you slay the Dodgers dragon and also come up with clutch game-tying hits in the NLCS. ... The Padres went 6 for 9 with a walk and a hit-by-pitch in that five-run fifth inning, and three Phillies pitchers combined the throw 46 pitches."Honorable mentions
And not such a good morning for...
THE PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
With the Phillies leading 4-0 through 1 1/2 innings and stud starter Aaron Nola on the mound, it would have been hard to blame Philadelphia faithful for looking ahead to a 2-0 NLDS lead and maybe -- just maybe -- thinking about a World Series trip upcoming.
Shortly thereafter, any such thoughts went up in smoke as quickly as the Phillies' lead.
Aaron Nola, who had not allowed an earned run in three straight starts going back to the regular season, gave up six in just 4 2/3 innings.After five hits and four runs in the second inning alone, the Phillies managed just three hits and one run the rest of the way.The Phillies entered Wednesday 27-2 all-time when leading a postseason game by at least four runs.In the second inning, Philadelphia had a nearly 85 percent chance to win according to Baseball Savant. Instead of heading into the off day today with a 2-0 lead, the Phillies will have to settle for a split and avoid thinking too much about what could have been.
