You can read a full report from tonight’s game here:
Final thoughts
Counting outs? @HunterFelt was right. And so we will see you tomorrow night.
— David Lengel (@LengelDavid) November 1, 2017
And this marks one of the few times I’ve been right this entire series. In any case, this World Series deserves to have a Game 7 so I’m quite glad that we’re going to get one tomorrow. If you think you know what’s going to happen during it, more power to you, but I’m pretty sure that absolutely no scenario is too improbable.
We’ll be covering Game 7 live here at the Guardian and hope that you will join us. Thanks to everybody who followed along with us during today’s game, especially everybody who contributed. Ciao!
The Dodgers have won Game 6 of the World Series, tying the series up 3-3, and have forced a Game 7
Dodgers win!
Astros 1-3 Dodgers, FINAL
And Carlos Beltran comes in to pinch-hit here and… he falls behind 0-2. The Astros are a strike away.
Beltran fouls a ball off and then chases a ball outside the zone and the Dodgers have won the game!
Astros 1-3 Dodgers, Top 9th
And Reddick strikes out swinging. The Dodgers are one away.
Astros 1-3 Dodgers,Top 9th
Marwin Gonzalez is up to face Jansen. He takes a strike and then fails to bunt a slider. He’s down 0-2 already. He fouls the next pitch off his foot. He then pops up to first for the first out.
Astros 1-3 Dodgers, Bottom 8th
It’s Francisco Liriano making his World Series debut, facing Cody Bellinger who has a good chance to give his team a tad more a cushion with a runner on second.
Liriano wastes no time, getting ahead of Bellinger 0-2. Liriano throws a slider outside, Cody doesn’t chase. He fouls off a pitch and then takes another pitch. 2-2.
He fouls off another pitch too close to take. Still 2-2. And he fouls off another one. It remains 2-2. And on 2-2… it’’s just outside. Finally, on the 8th pitch of the at-bat, Bellinger goes down swinging.
Still, the Dodgers are three outs away from forcing a Game 7!
@HunterFelt re: "Rome Run" funny, actually the first cartoon dog to talk that way was guess who - ASTRO from the Jetsons... "ruh-roh!"
— Abinadi Meza (@abinadi) November 1, 2017
Ooh. Good catch.
Astros 1-3 Dodgers, Bottom 8th
Gregerson remains in to face Turner. His first pitch, is outside.1-0. His next pitch? A strike at the knees. 1-1. Turner lays of the next pitch. 2-1. 2-1 is a slider inside. 3-1. And on 3-1, Gregerson ends up walking him. Pitching change!
Astros 1-3 Dodgers, Bottom 8th
Gregerson stays in to face Seager. Seager works a full count, but eventually Gregerson gets him to strike out for the second out.
Astros 1-3 Dodgers, Bottom 8th
Taylor is up next. He hits a ground ball to third, and he just gets tagged out at first. Culberson does make it to second.
Astros 1-3 Dodgers, Bottom 8th
Dodgers have a chance to get themselves some extra runs here. Luke Gregerson is up to prevent that from happening.
Up first, Charlie Culberson, who came in to play second base at the top of the 8th inning. He starts things off with a single.
Astros 1-3 Dodgers, Top 8th
And McCann strikes out swinging. That was quick.
Astros 1-3 Dodgers, Top 8th
Jansen is out to pitch. He gets Correa to fly out to right. And the perpetually booed Gurriel fouls out to first.
Astros 1-3 Dodgers, Bottom 7th
Barnes strikes out looking and that will do it for the 7th.
Email from Ravi Raman:
Subject: Rome run!
Haha, the excitement of play by play reports! Good to see the enjoyment.
Yes that was my most Scooby-Doo typo of all time. I laughed myself.
Astros 1-3 Dodgers, Bottom 7th
Big insurance run for L.A.. Obviously. There’s really only obvious things to say this late at the game. Musgrove’s still out there. He’s facing Andre Ethier, pinch-hitting for Maeda. He hits a ball that looks like it could fall but Gonzalez makes a not-entirely-easy catch.
Home run! Pederson! Astros 1-3 Dodgers, Bottom 7th
Joc Pederson is up, he hits a long fly ball and… he got enough. Opposite field home run, Pe
Updated
Astros 1-2 Dodgers, Bottom 7th
Joe Musgrove is out pitching for Houston. He gets Puig to pop out.
It should be Jansen now! These are the pits with the big guns up for Houston. These are THE outs. @HunterFelt
— David Lengel (@LengelDavid) November 1, 2017
Well he’s warming now. We’re gonna see him soon.
Astros 1-2 Dodgers, Top 7th
Maeda is pitching to Altuve. Altuva fouls off the first slider. 0-1. The next pitch, just inside. 1-1. On the next pitch, Altuve gets tied up and fouls it off. He’s behind 1-2. The Dodgers crowd is up on their feet. This could be a major moment here.
And Altuve grounds out to third, but just barely. The Astros consider challenging, but don’t, which is good because replay shows that he was out at first. The Dodgers escape the jam!
Astros 1-2 Dodgers, Top 7th
Bregman hits a flyball to centerfield. Fisher makes it third but there are now two outs.
Astros 1-2 Dodgers, Top 7th
Springer gets a gift base hit with a ball that just hits of of Seager’s glove. Derek Fisher comes in to run for Gattis at second.
Astros 1-2 Dodgers, Top 7th
Verlander’s out of the game. Improbably, it’s his game to lose here. Evan Gattis is hitting in his spot. He’ll be facing Kenta Meada.
Maeda falls behind 2-0 but evens the count on the next two pitches. On 2-2, he hits into a fielder’s choice, nearly a double play. Reddick is erased at second base.
Astros 1-2 Dodgers, Top 7th
Watson is pitching to Josh Reddick here in the 7th. Don’t be surprised if the game remains wonky from here on out, that’s how it’s gone in the last few games.
And just like that, Watson walks Reddick. Pitching change!
@HunterFelt so hypothetically if McCullers blew the save who pitches game 7?
— James Dann (@jamesadann) November 1, 2017
I’m not sure even A.J. Hinch could tell you that. The Dodgers, however, are doing their part in making this question meaningless.
Astros 1-2 Dodgers, Bottom 6th
Verlander throws a first-pitch ball but gets him to strike out none-the-less. He prevents further damage but the Dodgers take the lead.
Never count outs.
Astros 1-2 Dodgers, Bottom 6th
Justin Turner is getting some “MVP” chants which is… kinda pushing things, actually, but hey he’s got a chance to add to the lead here with Taylor on third and just one out. Turner instead just fouls out. The Dodgers can’t score on an out now.
Seager sacrifice fly. Astros 1-2 Dodgers, Bottom 6th
Runners on second and third, with nobody out. The infield comes in. Seager hits a flyball that isn’t enough to get out, but it’s enough to take the lead. Utley scores and Taylor makes it to second.
Taylor doubles in Barnes! Astros 1-1 Dodgers, Bottom 6th
Chris Taylor fouls off Verlander’s first pitch. 0-1. He then takes a slider off the plate. 1-1. Verlander’s next slider, Taylor takes a cut at and he misses. On 1-2, he hits the pitch… fair! Barnes comes around to score! The Dodgers have tied!
Astros 1-0 Dodgers, Bottom 6th
Well Utley didn’t get a hit, instead he misses badly and hits him on the foot and it’s two on and nobody out in the sixth. This is the first serious scoring chance that the Dodgers really have.
Astros 1-0 Dodgers, Bottom 6th
Barnes hits a base hit off of Verlander and up comes, Chase Utley hitting for Forsythe. This would be an improbable hit here.
Email from Pat Johnston:
How many 3 ball counts has verlander had so far tonight?
I think only three. It feels like zero.
Astros 1-0 Dodgers, Top 6th
So there’s two on, two out for the Astros. Gonzalez is up next. Watson falls behind 3-1. This is starting to look like it could be a pivotal pitch coming up.
On 3-1, he hits a liner…. And of course Utley is the one to make the play. That’ll end the inning.
Astros 1-0 Dodgers, Top 6th
Tony Watson is pitching while Forsythe is out, replaced by Chase Utley who, believe it or not, is still a major league player (nominally). Watson is facing McCann.
And he hits him. Well then.
Astros 1-0 Dodgers, Top 6th
Gurriel hits a liner off of Morrow.Dodgers fans take the time to boo him some more. Dave Roberts is in to pull a double-switch.
Astros 1-0 Dodgers, Top 6th
Correa falls behind 0-2. Okay, Morrow’s definitely looking better. Correa takes a ball before striking out on a slider.
Astros 1-0 Dodgers, Top 6th
Morrow is up, presumably for the next three right handers. The first of these is Altuve, who grounds off his first pitch foul. And he fouls of the next pitch, he’s already in a 0-2 hole. Morrow looking better than he did last time around, his velocity is back around normal.
Altuve just fouls off the next pitch. And the next. Still 0-2. Altuve takes a ball. 1-2. He grounds out to Turner on the best pitch he probably had to hit the whole at-bat.
It gets late early out here. Start counting outs. @HunterFelt
— David Lengel (@LengelDavid) November 1, 2017
I counted outs in Game 5 and that went VERY BADLY. I am not doing this at any point during this World Series.
But man if Verlander keeps pitching like this, it’s gonna be tempting.
Astros 1-0 Dodgers, Bottom 5th
Forsythe is up next. Dodgers have managed just one hit off of Verlander. Forsythe is trying to get something going here and he does manage to work a full count before Verlander makes him his 8th strikeout victim.
Astros 1-0 Dodgers, Bottom 5th
Pederson hits a ball into the outfield that Gonzalez calls for and gets.
Astros 1-0 Dodgers, Bottom 5th
Puig hits a flyball off of Verlander. One up, one down for the bottom of the fifth.
@HunterFelt who's meant to be closing for Houston tonight? Verlander/Devinski?
— James Dann (@jamesadann) November 1, 2017
Theoretically McCullers, who is supposed to start Game 7. The idea is that he ends up closing successfully thus making Game 7 not so much a thing that happens.
Astros 1-0 Dodgers, Top 5th
Bregman fouls the first pitch of and then grounds out to short on the second pitch. So far, so good for Morrow as the Dodgers escape without further damage.
Astros 1-0 Dodgers, Top 5th
The Dodgers fans boo the decision to put in Brandon Morrow, last seen collapsing in grand style in Game 5. I can’t fully blame them for first-guessing this move.
On the other hand: Nothing in this series has made any sense so who knows. Maybe this will be the genius move that saves their season.
Astros 1-0 Dodgers, Top 5th
Verlander’s up next, with a shot to help his own cause, as they say. Instead, he’s Hill’s fifth strikeout victim. Not a shocker, really, but it gets Hill a chance to escape from allowing a run on an out. They are intentionally going to walk George Springer and…
Dave Roberts is taking Rich Hill out and giving this game to his bullpen? I… What? Why?
Astros 1-0 Dodgers, Top 5th
Josh Reddick is now up and Hill starts him off with three straight balls. Reddick is taking all the way, and he looks at a strike. On 3-1, Reddick fouls off the pitch and it’s a full count.
On 3-2, Reddick swings and misses at a curve. A big first out with runners on second and third.
Astros 1-0 Dodgers, Top 5th
And Gonzalez hits a double! Runners are at second and third with nobody out in the fifth!
Astros 1-0 Dodgers, Top 5th
Hill is indeed going beyond four innings. McCann greets him with a base hit on his first pitch of the fifth.
rich hill runs like he’s galloping through a prairie of flowers pic.twitter.com/20iABmbhc2
— Joon Lee (@iamjoonlee) November 1, 2017
Astros 1-0 Dodgers, Bottom 4th
Verlander throws a first pitch ball! It’s Cody Bellinger who finally breaks the streak. He strikes out anyways, that’s Verlander’s seventh in four innings.
Astros 1-0 Dodgers, Bottom 4th
Seager flies out to Gonzalez in left for the first out. Verlander got a first pitch strike on him too, just in case you were wondering. His first pitch to Turner? That’s a strike. Twelve straight first-pitch strikes for the Astros’ starter. Verlander gets ahead of Turner 1-2, putting him into plate-protecting mode. He fouls off the next pitch and then just barely checks his swing on a pitch outside. 2-2.
On 2-2, he chases a slider outside to become Verlander’s sixth strikeout victim.
Astros 1-0 Dodgers, Top 4th
Rich Hill is very clearly taking his time on the mound with Gurriel in order to give fans more time to boo him, which is amusing. Gurriel fouls off the first two pitches. He’s down 0-2. He takes a ball. 1-2. Rain is starting to come down.
And Gurriel flies out to Puig in right. That’s the top of the 4th.
Astros 1-0 Dodgers, Top 4th
Correa flies out on three pitches for the second out. Home run aside, Hill has been very effective so far. Unless I just jinxed him.
Astros 1-0 Dodgers, Top 4th
Altuve grounds out to Seager, Hill picks up the first out of the fourth inning.
A run over three innings: Rich Hill is closing in on his limit. Roberts needs to get the Dodger bullpen rolling, rapido. @HunterFelt
— David Lengel (@LengelDavid) November 1, 2017
I am sensing a tad bit of sarcasm here.
Astros 1-0 Dodgers, Bottom 3rd
Chris Taylor is back out for the second time. He gets him an 0-2 pitch. This is some quality pitching. And he strikes him out on pitch three.
Astros 1-0 Dodgers, Bottom 3rd
Rich strikes swinging and then tries to run to first on a ball he’s hit super-super-super foul. Nice try Rich. He hits the next one out of play. It’s an entertaining at-bat at the very least. He fouls off the next pitch before finally striking out.
Astros 1-0 Dodgers, Bottom 3rd
Verlander starts off Austin Barnes with, guess what, a first pitch strike. Barnes fouls off the next pitch and he’s down 0-2 almost immediately. He wastes a pitch on 0-2, Barnes doesn’t chase. 1-2. Barnes fouls off the next offering and then hits a ball right to Altuve for the first out.
Astros 1-0 Dodgers, Top 3rd
Bregman just barely grounds out to shortstop. The Astros pause to see if they’ll challenge the play, but decide against it. A quick top of the third for the Astros, but a productive one.
Springer home run! Astros 1-0 Dodgers, Top 3rd
And that was quick too. George Springer hits a home run off of Hill and the Astros are on board first.
Astros 0-0 Dodgers, Top 3rd
Josh Reddick flies out to center on two pitches. Then he gets Verlander to strike out swinging. Pretty quick work that.
Conflicting predictions:
Betting on a LA choke
— Murbs' Sox/BadHombre (@MurbsSox) November 1, 2017
At this point, nothing would shock me. Okay, Dodgers in six would surprise me, but only for math related reasons.
Astros 0-0 Dodgers, Bottom 2nd
Logan Forsythe is up. He watches strike one and then ball one. Next pitch? That’s another fastball out of the zone. Forsythe looks at strike two. He then fouls one out and then flies out to Reddick. Puig ends the inning stranded on first.
Astros 0-0 Dodgers, Bottom 2nd
Joc Pederson’s up with Puig on first, a threat to steal here. Pederson take the first two pitches, a strike and a ball, then fouls one off. 1-2. Verlander and McCann chat a bit and Verlander throws a pitch off the plate that Pedersn takes a ball. 2-2. This feels like a key moment early in the game.
Pederson calls time. After that, Pederson fouls off Verlander’s next pitch. Still 2-2. Best at-bat against the Astros starter so far here. On 2-2, Pederson pulls one foul into the seats.
And Pederson takes the 7th pitch at the at-bat for strike three. Drama there, but Verlander wins.
Astros 0-0 Dodgers, Bottom 2nd
Yasiel Puig is up next. He takes a strike, then takes two balls, and then laces a single in front of Springer. The Dodgers have their first baserunner.
Astros 0-0 Dodgers, Bottom 2nd
Verlander facing Cody Bellinger who looks at a strike and then fouls off the next pitch right back. Pitch 3. Fouled off. 0-2. The next pitch is up and in. That’ll make it 1-2. Bellinger takes a pitch inside. On 2-2, he swings and misses at a ball on the corner. Verlander earns a strikeout.
Astros 0-0 Dodgers, Top 2nd
Marwin Gonzalez grounds out to end the top f the second. Rich Hill is looking sharp early as well.
Astros 0-0 Dodgers, Top 2nd
McCann flies out to Pederson in right. Two down.
Astros 0-0 Dodgers, Top 2nd
Oh man is Gurriel getting booed. It goes on for at least 30 seconds. Hill’s first pitch is a ball. The booing returns. Gurriel fouls off a ball an then takes a strike. Dodgers fans cheer that. He checks his swing on what ends up being a ball 2-2. On 2-2, he fouls into foul ground where Bellinger makes the play to retire him.
Astros 0-0 Dodgers, Bottom 1st
Up next is Corey Seager, Seager takes strike 3 on a 2-2 count, a pitch right on the corner. That’s two down. And then Turner fouls out to Bregman and that’s three outs on seven pitches. This is the Verlander that Houston hopes to see the rest of the game.
Astros 0-0 Dodgers, Bottom 1st
And on his first pitch, Justin Verlander gets Chris Taylor to fly out.
Email from Richard Woods:
I’m staying with my prediction to you at the start of Game Three - Astros in Six.
See you tomorrow!
It’s still in play. Very much still in play.
Astros 0-0 Dodgers, Top 1st
Carlos Correa grounds out to Turner and third and the Astros are scoreless in the first.
Astros 0-0 Dodgers, Top 1st
Hill’s first pitch to Altuve is a strike and he swings and misses at a curveball. He’s down 0-2 already. He fouls off a high fastball. And he swings through another curve and strikes out. That’s Hill’s second k in three batters.
Astros 0-0 Dodgers, Top 1st
Bregman hits a single on Hill’s first breaking ball of the game.
Astros 0-0 Dodgers, Top 1st
Springer chases a pitch well outside and Game 6 starts on a strikeout.
First pitch!
Astros 0-0 Dodgers, Top 1st
Hill’s first pitch is… a high fastball to George Springer. And it’s begun.
We’re minutes away from what may be the final baseball game of the season!
Tommy Lasorda and Orel Hershiser were out for the ceremonial first pitch(es).
Email from Roger Kirkby
Say what you like, but chicks dig the long ball. All I’ve heard, seen and read since game 5, is that Verlander is invincible. That’s been said before about pitchers and they usually get tonked. I hope so. Go Dodgers.
I will admit that I do like Verlander but I absolutely love Rich Hill, who appears to be one of the game’s nicer guys and really built his career back up after being completely out of the major leagues.
Oh man, I have been reminded that this is the first game Yuli Gurriel is playing in L.A. after the racist gestures he directed at Yu Darvish. That feels like it was years ago. Except Dodgers fans to (rightfully) give him hell about it when he’s at bat.
Closers
Who’s closing things out for Houston tonight? Well all indications are that it will be scheduled Game 7 starter Lance McCullers Jr should the Astros be in line for a victory tonight. Obviously the idea would be that they won’t need a Game 7 starter on account of the fact that there wouldn’t be a Game 7. I imagine that we could be seeing another multiple inning save for Houston, should all go right for them.
The Dodgers? They would hand the ball back to Kenley Jansen, but he’d only be good for an inning (one would assume) after going all out in Game 5.
Predictions
My thoughts heading into tonight’s game: There is no way a World Series this crazy won’t come down to a Game 7, which is why this one will end in six with an Astros win today. If nothing is going according to script, than why would anything, even this series not going according to script?
This made more sense in my head.
Your predictions for here on out? Email them to hunter.felt.freelance@theguardian.com or tweet them to @HunterFelt.
Slick balls
What was I saying about slick balls? Well, speculation is growing that the balls being used in this postseason are noticeably slicker than those used in the regular season. These supposed “slicker balls” are harder to grip, which supposedly makes it more difficult to throw certain pitches, most notably sliders.
This, of course, is on top of growing evidence that the ball used in MLB over the last few season is “juiced,” i.e. designed in a way to make it easier for hitters to hit home runs. It’s been the most popular theory on the increase in the home run rate, something that’s been particularly notable during this World Series.
Now, I’m still working on figuring out the final episode of “Twin Peaks,” so I don’t have a working theory here, but expect chatter to increase about this topic over the offseason.
Los Angeles Dodgers starters
1. Chris Taylor, CF
2. Corey Seager, SS
3. Justin Turner, 3B
4. Cody Bellinger, 3B
5. Yasiel Puig, RF
6. Joc Pederson, LF
7. Logan Forsythe, 2B
8. Austin Barnes, C
9. Rich Hill, P
Houston Astros starters
1. George Springer, CF
2. Alex Bregman, 3B
3. Jose Altuve, 2B
4. Carlos Correa, SS
5. Yuli Gurriel, 1B
6. Brian McCann, C
7. Marwin Gonzalez, LF
8. Josh Reddick, RF
9. Justin Verlander, P
Ah yes we’re heading back to National League rules today. This means we have potential “pitcher hitting a game-changing home run” today, just because this series feels overdue for one.
Preamble
Is everyone well rested? Did they finally get some sleep after the endless drama of Game 5? I know I did and I’m refreshed and ready to talk about Game 6 of what’s looking like one of those most dramatic and certainly strangest World Series ever. The stakes are clear: The Houston Astros win and they, well, they win. They’re your 2017 World Series champions! If the Los Angeles Dodgers win, they force a Game 7 which will take place here at Dodgers Stadium tomorrow night.
Our starting pitchers? Justin Verlander is starting for the Astros while Rich Hill will be on the mound for the Dodgers in what will be a Game 2 rematch (remember Game 2, it wasn’t that long ago). If this series at all resembled the actual game of baseball, this would be of some consequence to the final outcome. That is most likely not the case here.
If you want to offer your thoughts, send them to @HunterFelt (if you want to offer them via Twitter) or to hunter.felt.freelance@theguardian.com (if you want to send them via email). We’ll present them here throughout the game.
It’s Game 6 of the World Series between the Houston Astros and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodgers Stadium. First pitch is scheduled around 8:20pm EST and we’ll just put down final pitch as “???.” We’ll be back shortly with lineups, predictions and slick ball talk (it’s not like it sounds, really).
Hunter will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s how Game 5 was decided:
If the wild, extra-innings slugfest in the second game of this captivating World Series was unhinged, Game 5 was certifiably insane. It was also an instant classic. The Los Angeles Dodgers’ formidable ace, Clayton Kershaw, was cruising yet let slip a four-run lead. The Houston Astros blasted two game-tying three-run home runs yet had to come from behind again … only to blow a three-run advantage in the ninth inning.
The World Series balls are reportedly a boon for power hitters and a bugbear for finesse pitchers and here was more evidence for that thesis, an evening of big blasts, bad pitching and momentum shifts that twisted from one team to the other in the swing of a bat. This is a series that makes fools out of anyone who makes assumptions. No lead was safe, no matter how big, no matter how late in the game.
Click here for the full report:
