Connect with us

Published

3 years ago

on

11:26 PM ET

  • ESPN staff

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

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Sports

Foligno takes puck off hand, will miss 4 weeks

Published

6 hours ago

on

November 16, 2025

By

Foligno takes puck off hand, will miss 4 weeks

  • Ryan S. ClarkNov 16, 2025, 12:28 AM ET

    Close

      Ryan S. Clark is an NHL reporter for ESPN.

Chicago Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno will miss four weeks after injuring his hand Saturday in his team’s 3-2 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs, coach Jeff Blashill said.

Foligno, 38, suffered the injury with 90 seconds left in the second period when he was skating near the top of the Blackhawks’ defensive zone and Jake McCabe‘s shot on net deflected off Foligno’s hand.

Foligno immediately hunched over and favored his hand while skating back to the Blackhawks’ bench. Foligno, who did not return for the third period, finished with three shots on goal and logged 10:41 in ice time.

The absence of Foligno, who has six points in 15 games, means the Blackhawks will be without their fourth-line center who was anchoring a combination featuring Sam Lafferty and Landon Slaggert. His injury is also the second to impact the Blackhawks’ forward group with winger Jason Dickinson currently on injured reserve.

After finishing last season with the second-fewest points in the NHL, the Blackhawks (9-5-4) have emerged into one of the biggest surprises through the first quarter of the regular season. With their win against the Maple Leafs, they enter Sunday third in the Central Division and a point ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken in the Western Conference wild-card race.

Continue Reading

Sports

Devils’ Hughes out 8 weeks after finger surgery

Published

6 hours ago

on

November 16, 2025

By

Devils' Hughes out 8 weeks after finger surgery

New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes had successful surgery on his finger Saturday, the team announced. The expected recovery time is eight weeks, though he will be reevaluated in six weeks.

According to sources, Hughes injured his hand in a “freak accident” that involved getting cut by glass at a team dinner Thursday.

Hughes’ procedure was performed by Dr. Robert Hotchkiss at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.

The 24-year-old was off to a terrific start for New Jersey, which is 12-4-1 and atop the Metropolitan Division entering Friday. The American-born star has 10 goals and 20 points in his first 17 games.

The injury will create an interesting predicament for Team USA ahead of the 2026 Olympics in Milan. Hughes’ brother, Quinn, has already been named to the team while the Devils star was expected to be a front-runner for the roster. Federations must submit rosters by Dec. 31. The Devils’ projected return-to-play timeline is around the second week of January. The Olympic men’s hockey tournament begins Feb. 11.

Olympic rosters feature 25 players, which is two more spots than teams had at Four Nations.

Continue Reading

Sports

Canucks sign ex-Leaf Kampf to one-year deal

Published

6 hours ago

on

November 16, 2025

By

Canucks sign ex-Leaf Kampf to one-year deal

  • Ryan S. ClarkNov 15, 2025, 06:36 PM ET

    Close

      Ryan S. Clark is an NHL reporter for ESPN.

Center David Kampf signed a one-year contract with the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday, just a day after the Toronto Maple Leafs terminated his previous deal.

Kampf, whose deal with the Canucks will carry a $1.1 million cap hit, was entering the third year of his four-year contract with the Maple Leafs that was worth $2.4 million annually.

The Leafs waived Kampf before the season, and he began the year with their AHL affiliate. Kampf played four games in the AHL before taking a voluntary leave of absence, which wasn’t sanctioned by the Leafs, to evaluate his options.

Kampf, who scored 5 goals and 13 points in 59 games last season, gives the Canucks a two-way center who has logged more than 110 short-handed minutes in seven straight seasons.

The Canucks have faced defensive challenges under first-year coach Adam Foote, who already has had to navigate injuries to Filip Chytil, Thatcher Demko, Derek Forbort, Filip Hronek and Quinn Hughes, among others.

Entering Saturday, the Canucks were allowing 3.53 goals per game, which is the fifth most in the NHL, while their penalty kill is the worst in the league at 66.1%. The Los Angeles Kings set the NHL record for the worst penalty kill in league history with a 68.2% success rate in the 1979-80 campaign.

Kampf also provides a veteran presence at center for the Canucks, who entered the season with questions at the position. Those concerns have intensified with Teddy Blueger and Chytil on injured reserve.

Entering Saturday, the Canucks (8-9-2) had the second-fewest points in the Pacific Division but were two points behind the Chicago Blackhawks and Winnipeg Jets for Western Conference wild-card spots.

Continue Reading

Trending