Connect with us

Published

on

This time, a 5-0 lead was more than enough for the Houston Astros.

A day after allowing the Philadelphia Phillies to come back to win 6-5 in extra innings, the Astros took care of business in Game 2, winning 5-2. Framber Valdez went 6.1 innings, giving up one run and striking out nine, while Houston led off the game with three straight extra-base hits, a first in World Series history. An Alex Bregman two-run home run added some insurance, but Houston was in control of this game from the first pitch.

Here are the best sights and sounds from Game 2 of what is now a tied 2022 World Series.

Game 2 takeaways

We didn’t get the drama of Game 1, as Houston’s 5-2 victory was an archetypal Astros win for 2022. Valdez was terrific on the mound for 6.1 innings, the top of the lineup did all the damage and the bullpen closed it out. This is how the Astros won 106 games in 2022 and why they are now 8-1 this postseason.

The game was really over after just four pitches, when Jose Altuve, Jeremy Pena and Yordan Alvarez each doubled off Zack Wheeler for a quick 2-0 lead, with Alvarez later scoring on an error to make it 3-0. Altuve broke out of his postseason slump with three hits, and Bregman added a two-run home run, but Valdez took home star of the night honors. As is usually the case, it was impossible to get the ball up in the air against him. He got 19 outs: nine on strikeouts, nine on grounders and one on Bryce Harper‘s line out to left field in the first inning. Two double plays helped him get out of a couple small jams.

The Phillies had their best opportunity for a big inning in the eighth off reliever Rafael Montero when Kyle Schwarber just missed a two-run home run … twice. First, he hit a long foul ball that was originally ruled a home run before the umpires met and correctly called it a foul ball. Then he flew out to Kyle Tucker in front of the wall in right field. Harper would come up later in the inning with two runners on, but popped out to shallow right-center, with shortstop Pena hauling in the catch in a near collision with Tucker.

It’s certainly a little concerning to the Phillies that both Aaron Nola and Wheeler have been hit hard in their starts. The path to a World Series title for the Phillies certainly feels like it rides heavily on those pitchers delivering great outings and that hasn’t happened, with only Game 1’s historic five-run comeback at least giving them a split in these first two games.

One area of interest: Dusty Baker certainly likes to leave his starters in the game. Valdez had thrown 94 pitches through six when he came back out for the seventh. Granted, it was 5-0 at the time, but Baker still left him in after Nick Castellanos‘ leadoff double. Given that Houston’s bullpen has allowed just four earned runs in 40.2 innings in the postseason with just 19 hits allowed, it’s something to monitor the rest of the series. — David Schoenfield

Bregman goes yard

Alex Bregman gives the Astros another 5-0 lead with a two-run homer in the fifth, off a Zack Wheeler slider. Wheeler had been terrific through his first four postseason starts with a 1.78 ERA, but hasn’t had the same zip on his fastball and has resorted to throwing more offspeed stuff than normal. His fastball has averaged 94.2 mph — this from a guy who maxed out at 99 against the Padres in his last outing. He started losing some velocity after a couple innings in that game, however, which is one reason the Phillies gave him an extra day of rest by starting Aaron Nola over Wheeler in Game 1. It’s possible the long postseason full of high-stress innings is starting to take its toll on Wheeler. As for Bregman, you might remember he struggled last postseason when he played through a hand injury and hit .217 with one home run in 16 games (and went 2-for-21 in the World Series). This was his third home run of the 2022 postseason. — Schoenfield

Valdez is dealing

Framber Valdez had a World Series to forget last season: Two starts, just 4.2 innings, 10 total runs and two home runs allowed each game — and this is a pitcher who doesn’t allow many home runs. Staked to an early lead in Game 2, we’re seeing the guy who won 17 games this season with a 2.82 ERA and led the American League in innings pitched. He just mowed down the 4-5-6 hitters in the Philadelphia lineup, striking out Bryce Harper on a curveball, getting Nick Castellanos on a slow grounder to third and striking out Alec Bohm looking on a 97-mph sinker at the knees. No, it’s not fair: Valdez has one of the best curveballs in the game, a cutter with ridiculous movement … oh, and he can dial it up to 97. Justin Verlander tired in the middle innings in Game 1, but that doesn’t look like it’s going to happen to Valdez. — Schoenfield

Houston opens the scoring

Jose Altuve had been a miserable 4-for-37 in the postseason, but he jumped all over Zack Wheeler‘s first pitch, a 96.4-mph fastball, for a leadoff double into left field — and he smoked it at 103.8 mph. Jeremy Pena then drilled Wheeler’s next pitch, a curveball, into the left-field corner for an RBI double, his eighth extra-base hit of the postseason. Two pitches later, Yordan Alvarez lofted a flyball off the Crawford Boxes for another double. Four pitches, three doubles and a 2-0 lead. It’s the first time a team has started a World Series game with three straight extra base hits.

The Astros then stole a third run thanks to some shoddy Phillies defense. Alvarez aggressively tagged up on a routine flyball to center fielder Matt Vierling — who says the big man can’t run? — and then scored when Rhys Hoskins was unable to scoop shortstop Edmundo Sosa‘s throw in the dirt with two outs. All postseason, we’ve been waiting for the Phillies’ defense to hurt them, and they made three bad plays in one inning — a poor throw from Vierling, a poor throw from Sosa and a poor scoop from Hoskins. Astros up 3-0. Sound familiar? — Schoenfield

Pregame fashion

Continue Reading

Sports

Buffs coach: Stars ‘should be going 1-2’ in draft

Published

on

By

Buffs coach: Stars 'should be going 1-2' in draft

BOULDER, Colo. — For the horde of NFL talent evaluators and some bleachers full of fans, Colorado coach Deion Sanders said Friday that they all got to see the top two players available in this year’s NFL draft.

Quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter were among the 16 Colorado players who took part in the school’s showcase event for scouts, coaches and personnel executives from every NFL team. And Deion Sanders said the two marquee players confirmed what he has known for a long time.

“It’s tremendous,” Sanders said. “… They should be going 1-2 [in the draft], that’s the way I feel about it. They are the two best players in this draft. … The surest bets in this draft are those two young men, and I didn’t stutter or stammer when I said that.”

Neither Shedeur Sanders nor Hunter took part in most of the position drills or physical testing, but Sanders had a throwing session for just under an hour and Hunter was one of the wide receivers who participated. Neither player worked out at the scouting combine earlier this year, so it was the first time Sanders had thrown in such a setting since the end of the season. He showed some full seven-step drops and play-action from the shotgun and under center.

“I think I did pretty good, to my expectations,” said Sanders, who set the career FBS accuracy mark in his two years at Colorado (71.8%) to go with his 4,134 passing yards and 37 touchdowns last season. “I know I did the best in college football right now, for sure.”

Asked after the throwing session whether he believed he was the best quarterback in the draft, Sanders said: “I feel like I’m the No. 1 quarterback, and that’s what I know. But at the end of the day, I’m not stuck on that because it’s about the situation, so whatever situation, whatever franchise believes in me, I’m excited to go. … I’m comfortable in any situation.”

Players Hunter, who did not speak to the media after the workout, and Sanders met with the Cleveland Browns contingent, including team co-owner Jimmy Haslam, on Thursday night in Boulder.

“They got me really full,” Sanders said. “I definitely needed to go to the sauna after that. … It was a good vibe.”

Said Deion Sanders said: “[I] spoke to the owner, truly delightful. He was engaging. … I think one of those guys is going to be there [at No. 2].”

Hunter, the No. 1 player on Mel Kiper Jr.’s Big Board, did not do any defensive drills Friday, but he ran a full assortment of routes.

Colorado safety Shilo Sanders, Shedeur’s brother, offered plenty of encouragement, shouting commentary and clapping after each throw, including “not a lot of quarterbacks can make that throw” after one deep completion.

The highly attended event — by NFL representatives as well as fans packing small bleachers — had a festive atmosphere. Deion Sanders named it the “We Ain’t Hard 2 Find Showcase,” complete with a large lighted “The Showcase” sign next to the drills.

Hunter, who has said he wants to play offense and defense in the NFL, won the Chuck Bednarik (top defensive player) and Fred Biletnikoff (top receiver) awards in addition to the Heisman. He said whether he will primarily be a wide receiver or a cornerback in the NFL depends “on the team that picks me.”

On Friday, Deion Sanders said “ain’t nobody like Travis.”

Hunter had 96 catches for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns as a receiver last season to go with 35 tackles, 11 pass breakups and 4 interceptions at cornerback. In the Buffaloes’ regular-season finale against Oklahoma State, he became the only FBS player in the past 25 years with three scrimmage touchdowns on offense and an interception in the same game, according to ESPN Research.

He played 1,380 total snaps in Colorado’s 12 regular-season games: 670 on offense, 686 on defense and 24 on special teams. He played 1,007 total snaps in 2023.

Shilo Sanders, who hoped to show teams more speed than expected, ran a 4.52 40-yard dash after he measured in at 5-foot-11⅞, 196 pounds. He did not participate in the jumps or bench press that opened the workout, citing a right shoulder injury.

With all NFL eyes on the Colorado campus to see Shedeur Sanders throw, one player who made the most of it was wide receiver Will Sheppard. Sheppard, who measured 6-2¼, 196 pounds, ran the 40 in 4.56 and 4.54 to go with a 40½-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot-11 broad jump.

Continue Reading

Sports

O’s Henderson off IL; will make ’25 debut vs. KC

Published

on

By

O's Henderson off IL; will make '25 debut vs. KC

Baltimore Orioles All-Star shortstop Gunnar Henderson was activated from the 10-day injured list and will make his season debut Friday night against the Kansas City Royals.

Henderson has been sidelined with a right intercostal strain and missed the first seven games of the big league campaign.

The 23-year-old Henderson will lead off and play shortstop against the host Royals.

Henderson was injured during a spring training game Feb. 27. He was fourth in American League MVP voting last season when he batted .281 and racked up career bests of 37 homers and 92 RBIs.

Henderson completed a five-game rehab stint at Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday. He batted .263 (5-for-19) with two homers and four RBIs and played four games at shortstop and one as the designated hitter. He did commit three errors.

“I think everybody’s looking forward to having Gunnar back on the team,” Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde said Thursday. “The rehab went really, really well. I talked to him a couple days ago, he feels great swinging the bat. The timing came, especially the last few days. He just had to get out there and get some reps defensively and get some games in, and it all went well.”

Baltimore optioned outfielder Dylan Carlson to Triple-A Norfolk to open up a roster spot. The 26-year-old was 0-for-4 with a run and RBI in two games this season.

Continue Reading

Sports

Life after OMG: Can 2025 Mets replicate their 2024 vibes?

Published

on

By

Life after OMG: Can 2025 Mets replicate their 2024 vibes?

When New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns attempted to assemble the best possible roster for the 2025 season this winter, the top priority was signing outfielder Juan Soto. Next was the need to replenish the starting rotation and bolster the bullpen. Then, days before pitchers and catchers reported for spring training, the lineup received one final significant reinforcement when first baseman Pete Alonso re-signed.

Acquiring a player with a singing career on the side didn’t make the cut.

“No, that is not on the list,” Stearns said with a smile.

Stearns’ decision not to re-sign Jose Iglesias, the infielder behind the mic for the viral 2024 Mets anthem “OMG,” was attributed to creating more roster flexibility. But it also hammered home a reality: The scrappy 2024 Mets, authors of a magical summer in Queens, are a thing of the past. The 2025 Mets, who will report to Citi Field for their home opener Friday, have much of the same core but also some prominent new faces — and the new, outsized expectations that come with falling two wins short of the World Series, then signing Soto to the richest contract in professional sports history.

But there’s a question surrounding this year’s team that you can’t put a price tag on: Can these Mets rekindle the magic — the vibes, the memes, the feel-good underdog story — that seemed to come out of nowhere to help carry them to Game 6 of the National League Championship Series last season?

“Last year the culture was created,” Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor said. “It’s a matter of continuing it.”

For all the success Stearns has engineered — his small-market Milwaukee Brewers teams reached the postseason five times in eight seasons after he became the youngest general manager in history in 2015 — the 40-year-old Harvard grad, like the rest of his front office peers knows there’s no precise recipe for clubhouse chemistry. There is no culture projection system. No Vibes Above Replacement.

“Culture is very important,” Stearns said last weekend in the visiting dugout at Daikin Park before his club completed an opening-weekend series against the Houston Astros. “Culture is also very difficult to predict.”

Still, it seems the Mets’ 2024 season will be all but impossible to recreate.

There was Grimace, the purple McDonald’s blob who spontaneously became the franchise’s unofficial mascot after throwing out a first pitch in June. “OMG,” performed under Iglesias’ stage name, Candelita, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Latin Digital Songs chart, before a remix featuring Pitbull was released in October. Citi Field became a karaoke bar whenever Lindor stepped into the batter’s box with The Temptations’ “My Girl” as his walk-up song. Alonso unveiled a lucky pumpkin in October. They were gimmicks that might have felt forced if they hadn’t felt so right.

“I don’t know if what we did last year could be replicated because it was such a chaos-filled group,” Mets reliever Ryne Stanek said. “I don’t know if that’s replicable because there’s just too many things going on. I don’t know if that’s a sustainable model. But I think the expectation of winning is really important. I think establishing what we did last year and coming into this year where people are like, ‘Oh, no, that’s what we’re expecting to do,’ makes it different. It’s always a different vibe whenever you feel like you’re the hunter versus being the hunted.”

For the first two months last season, the Mets were terrible hunters. Lindor was relentlessly booed at Citi Field during another slow start. The bullpen got crushed. The losses piled up. The Mets began the season 0-5 and sunk to rock bottom on May 29 when reliever Jorge Lopez threw his glove into the stands during a 10-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers that dropped the team to 22-33.

That night, the Mets held a players-only meeting. From there, perhaps coincidentally, everything changed. The Mets won the next day, and 67 of their final 107 games.

This year, to avoid an early malaise and to better incorporate new faces like Soto and Opening Day starter Clay Holmes, players made it a point to hold meetings during spring training to lay a strong foundation.

“At the end of the day, we know who we are and that’s the beauty of our club,” Alonso said. “Not just who we are talent-wise, but who each individual is as a man and a personality. For us, our major, major strength is our collective identity as a unit.”

Organizationally, the Mets are attempting a dual-track makeover: Becoming perennial World Series contenders while not taking themselves too seriously.

The commemorative purple Grimace seat installed at Citi Field in September — Section 302, Row 6, Seat 12 in right field — remains there as part of a two-year contract. Last week, the franchise announced it will feature a New York-city themed “Five Borough” race at every home game — with a different mascot competing to represent each borough. For a third straight season, USA Today readers voted Citi Field — home of the rainbow cookie egg roll, among many other innovative treats — as having the best ballpark food in baseball.

In the clubhouse, their identity is evolving.

“I’m very much in the camp that you can’t force things,” Mets starter Sean Manaea said. “I mean, you can, but you don’t really end up with good results. And if you wait for things to happen organically, then sometimes it can take too long. So, there’s like a nudging of sorts. It’s like, ‘Let’s kind of come up with something, but not force it.’ So there’s a fine balance there and you just got to wait and see what happens.”

Stearns believes it starts with what the Mets can control: bringing positive energy every day and fostering a family atmosphere. It’s hard to quantify, but vibes undoubtedly helped fuel the Mets’ 2024 success. It’ll be a tough act to follow.

“It’s fluid,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “I like where guys are at as far as the team chemistry goes and things like that and the connections and the relationships. But it’ll continue to take some time. And winning helps, clearly.”

Continue Reading

Trending