Unheralded rookie Jose Urquidy outpitched the big-name aces who preceded him, quieting Washington’s bats and the Nationals Park crowd, too, while Alex Bregman busted out of his slump with a go-ahead single in the first inning and a grand slam in the seventh as the resurgent Houston Astros routed the Nationals 8-1 on Saturday to pull even at two games apiece in an unpredictable World Series.
Urquidy had never pitched above Class A before this year. This stage seemed surreal.
“A couple of moments, I was thinking about: ‘Oh my God, I’m in a World Series pitching,’” Urquidy said.
Photo: AP
Game 1 winner Max Scherzer was to take the mound yesterday. In a rematch of the opener, Gerrit Cole was to start for Houston.
Visiting teams have won the first four games for the first time since 1996, when the Yankees broke the pattern in Game 6 against Atlanta to take the title.
Game 6 is set for tomorrow in Houston, when the Astros lose the road-field advantage.
Photo: EPA-EFE
“This is what it’s all about,” Bregman said. “This is a beautiful thing. It’s two teams battling it out. They’ve got great pitching, great offenses. It’s been fun so far, and just want to keep it rolling.”
Yuli Gurriel drove in a run in the first as Houston strung together four singles in a seven-pitch span for a 2-0 lead against Patrick Corbin. Robinson Chirinos homered for the second straight day, a two-run drive that boosted the lead to 4-0 in the fourth.
Fans started leaving in the seventh, when the Astros sent 10 batters to the plate and battered the bullpen. Bregman, who began the night in a 1-for-13 series slide, had the big blow, driving a low, inside fastball from Fernando Rodney into the left-field stands of the ballpark where he was the All-Star Game MVP last year.
Bregman held his bat high as he slowly walked out of the batter’s box, then took 28 seconds to savor circling the bases.
Orange-clad Houston fans in the right-field upper deck chanted “Let’s go Astros!” as Nationals fans were silenced. Wild-card Washington lost consecutive games for the first time since Sept. 13 and 14 against the Atlanta Braves.
“I think tonight was really the first time we really did what the Houston Astros offense can do,” outfielder Josh Reddick said.
Starting pitchers were the talk of the Series coming in, with Washington’s Stephen Strasburg, Scherzer and Corbin combining for 12 All-Star picks and three Cy Young Awards. The baseball cards of Houston’s Cole, Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke sparkle with 17 All-Star selections, two Cy Youngs and one MVP.
However, there were just five 1-2-3 innings by starters in the first three games and the most consecutive outs were turned in by Nationals veteran Anibal Sanchez, who retired seven straight in Game 3.
Urquidy, who rebounded from Tommy John surgery in 2016, exceeded them all.
“Maybe he doesn’t have the Max Scherzer, Gerrit Cole name, but he’s got good stuff,” Washington leadoff man Trea Turner said.
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