For the second time in five years, the Astros have won the World Series, beating the Philadelphia Phillies 4-1 in Game 6. It is the Astros’ fourth World Series appearance and second title since 2017. More importantly, it is validation for a team scarred by the cheating scandal that cost them draft picks, a manager and a GM.
Game 6 was a full blown pitchers duel until the sixth inning when Kyle Schwarber hit yet another postseason home run off Framber Valdez. But the Astros came back in the sixth with four runs including an absolute monster blast to center field by Yordan Alvarez, his first home run since the ALDS. That was all they needed as they wrapped up another world championship for the city of Houston.
WINNERS
Jeremy Peña, MVP
Peña was spectacular for the entire postseason, but particularly in the World Series. He became the first rookie in World Series history with a hit in each of his first six games. He is also just the third rookie to pick up World Series MVP honors — and the first position player. He and Livan Hernandez are the only rookies to win MVP in both the World Series and league championship series.
The big inning
This entire series has turned on innings with crooked numbers and Game 6 was no different. After five scoreless innings, the Astros erupted for four runs in the sixth and never looked back. The Phillies were the team that came into the Series with the reputation of putting up big numbers. The Astros matched and even exceeded them in that category.
450 feet over the batter’s eye
Has anyone ever seen a ball hit over the batter’s eye at Minute Maid Park that wasn’t in batting practice? We can’t remember a single one. But, Alvarez absolutely murdered a 99 mph fastball from Phillies reliever Jose Alvarado that landed two rows deep on the top of the huge wall in center field. It was an incredible exclamation point on an amazing season.
Dusty Baker
All the narratives can now be flushed down the toilet. Baker becomes the oldest manager at 73 to win a World Series. He had the most wins of any manager not to win it and now he has his ring. He is an icon in the sport and the absolute perfect choice for this Astros team, helping to clean up the mess of the cheating scandal and steady a rocky ship. Welcome to the club, Dusty!
LOSERS
Pulling Zack Wheeler
Phillies manager Rob Thomson did an admirable job turning around what could have been a lost season in Philadelphia after they fired their manager earlier in the season. But, his decision to pull a rolling Wheeler to go with a lefty-on-lefty matchup against Alvarez made little sense. It was the fourth time Alvarez had seen Alvarado and it took only three pitches for him to prove why replacing Wheeler was a mistake.
Kyle Schwarber, left fielder
The left fielder has been incredible at the plate, but his work in the field leaves a lot to be desired. He did manage a nice pickoff play of Alex Bregman in the eighth, but otherwise, he misplayed one ball and let another come out of his glove, both times allowing runners to easily reach second.
Swinging at anything and missing
Check this stat: The Phillies struck out 71 times in the World Series. Seventy-one. It is the most in World Series history. Coming into the Series, the Astros knew the Phils were a swing and miss ballclub. They don’t really hit for contact and swing too often at pitches up in the zone. Houston pitchers absolutely made them pay.
Hating on the Astros
It’s over. The Astros have now been to six straight league championship series (winning four), four World Series (winning two), and won more than 100 games in four of the last six years. They are a dynasty. Period. End of sentence. You can complain all you like about the 2017 cheating scandal, but this franchise has now shed that asterisk. They are the best team in baseball and there is nothing more to be said. Full stop.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2022.
