HOUSTON _ Others might have viewed it as a coincidence. Alex Wood interpreted it as a sign from a higher power.
"I believe in fate, I believe everything happens for a reason," the Dodgers left-hander said.
Saturday was Oct. 28.
His parents were engaged on this day almost three decades earlier. His fiancee was born on this day. His best friend, Chase Veazey, was paralyzed in a car accident on this day eight years ago.
Veazey was in attendance Saturday night at Minute Maid Park as Wood delivered the performance of a lifetime, limiting the Houston Astros to a solitary run over 5 2/3 innings in a 6-2 victory in Game 4 of the World Series.
The win salvaged the Dodgers season.
"It's been a whirlwind of emotion for me," Wood said.
A defeat and the Dodgers would have trailed the best-of-seven series, three games to one. Instead, they are level, two games to two, with Clayton Kershaw scheduled to scale the mound for them in Game 5.
Game 6 will be played at Dodger Stadium, as would Game 7, if it's necessary.
"The difference between 3-1 and 2-2 is everything," outfielder Chris Taylor said.
There was never any question Wood had the fortitude to pitch a game like this. He displayed the depth of his character in the first month of the season.
When the Dodgers broke spring training, the team's decision makers didn't consider Alex Wood to be one of their five best starting pitchers.
Wood told manager Dave Roberts they were making a mistake, but the decision was made. He was to start the season in the bullpen.
In this instance, Wood's versatility worked against him, his experience as a reliever making the team comfortable stashing him in its bullpen. Clayton Kershaw, Kenta Maeda, Rich Hill, Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-Jin Ryu started the season in the rotation.
Wood didn't complain. He didn't feel sorry for himself. Instead, he competed.
By the end of April, he was in the rotation. He won his first 11 decisions and earned a place on the National League All-Star team.
His emotional resilience was never in question. His physical endurance was.
He entered the All-Star break with a 1.67 earned-run average. In the 12 starts he made over the remainder of the season, his ERA was 3.89.
That was enough to knock him down the team's pecking order.
He was designated the team's No. 4 starter in the postseason behind Kershaw, Hill and midseason reinforcement Yu Darvish.
Wood didn't pitch in the National League division series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. When he made started Game 4 of the NL Championship Series against the Chicago Cubs, he was more than four weeks removed from his last start. Wood lasted only 4 2/3 innings, allowing three solo home runs in a 3-2 loss.
The Dodgers couldn't afford for him to have another start like that. Darvish recorded only five outs in his Friday night start, requiring Kenta Maeda to pitch 2 2/3 innings in a Game 4 defeat.
Maeda was consequently unavailable Saturday. Another short start would have spelled disaster.
Only Wood was masterful.
"Woody set the tone for us and was just outstanding tonight," Roberts said.
Astros starter Charlie Morton was dominant, but Wood matched him zero for zero. Morton started the game by serving up a leadoff single to Taylor, but retired the next 14 batters he faced.
Wood had a no-hitter through five innings.
"We were rolling pretty good the whole night," Wood said.
Reliever Brandon Morrow was warming up as Wood returned to the mound for the sixth inning. Wood retired the first two batters, Marwin Gonzalez and Brian McCann.
Roberts had a decision to make.
The top of the Astros lineup was due up for the third time and the Dodgers generally don't like opposing hitters to have that many looks against their starting pitchers. But Wood still had a no-hitter.
Roberts kept Wood in the game. One batter too many, it turned out.
George Springer blasted a ball over the left-field stands, moving the Astros in front, 1-0. Roberts replaced Wood with Morrow.
But Roberts conceded that he entertained the thought of allowing Wood to continue.
"I thought that obviously he pitched an incredible game," Roberts said. "Both starters tonight were lights out. Woody's command tonight was just off the charts. I just felt that where they're at in the order and how much he's been used and pushed over the last month, right there, that's all he had. And, for me, for us, that was plenty."
Roberts was right.
The Dodgers bullpen allowed only one more hit over the remainder of the game, a ninth-inning solo home run by Alex Bregman off closer Kenley Jansen. By then, the Dodgers had tied the game in the seventh inning and blown the game open with a five-run inning in the ninth.
"Woody was unbelievable tonight," Taylor said. "Just so happy for him he could have that start. We don't win without Woody tonight."
