McCormick’s epic catch stuns Phils, saves Astros
PHILADELPHIA — After he leaped against the right-center-field scoreboard and secured the catch of his life — a catch that, depending on what the Houston Astros do the rest of this week, could go down as one of the most memorable and important in baseball history — Chas McCormick just laid there, back to the warning-track dirt, feet sprawled out in front of him, glove to the sky.
He looked up at the faces in the crowd and saw himself as a young, die-hard fan of the Philadelphia Phillies. He saw the 14-year-old boy who had his spirit crushed by the 2009 World Series loss to the New York Yankees, only this time he was the one delivering all the pain.
“It was weird,” McCormick said. “It felt like a dream.”
It wasn’t. The Astros, propelled by McCormick’s improbable ninth-inning catch, are one win away from another World Series championship. They rode a gutsy pitching performance from veteran Justin Verlander, a spectacular offensive showing from rookie Jeremy Pena and a couple of late-game defensive gems — first by Trey Mancini as a first-base replacement, then by McCormick — to a 3-2 victory over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park in Thursday night’s Game 5.
Now they’ll have two chances in Houston to secure their first title since the tainted one of 2017.
“Zero complacency,” Verlander said after securing his first win in his ninth World Series start. “We’ve been in this situation before.”
The Astros recently lost two World Series to underdog teams from the National League East, first the Washington Nationals in 2019 and then the Atlanta Braves in 2021. It seemed as if it might happen again this year, when the Phillies, a team that won 19 fewer regular-season games, earned a split from Houston and took a 2-1 Series lead with a five-home-run barrage in Game 3 in Philadelphia.
But Cristian Javier and three relievers combined for a no-hitter in Game 4, and then an assortment of others contributed to a crucial, Series-swinging victory in Game 5.
It began with Verlander, who shook off a leadoff home run from Kyle Schwarber, fought through lacking fastball command and found his slider to contribute five innings of one-run ball. Verlander departed to a 2-1 lead thanks to Pena’s first-inning single and fourth-inning homer.
The Astros had extended their advantage to two runs by the eighth until Jean Segura contributed an RBI single, breaking the Phillies’ 20 at-bats hitless streak with runners in scoring position.
There were runners on the corners with one out, the Phillies’ lineup was close to turning over a fifth time, and Astros manager Dusty Baker went to his closer, Ryan Pressly, to try to convert his first save of more than four outs since July 14.
“It’s the postseason,” Pressly said. “You got to go out there and get outs whenever you’re called upon to go do ’em.”
Pressly promptly struck out the Phillies’ No. 9 hitter, Brandon Marsh. Next up was Schwarber, the Phillies’ fearsome left-handed slugger. By that point Mancini was in the game at first base in place of Yuli Gurriel, who had injured his knee on a scary rundown collision the inning before.
Mancini had basically been in exile, his 0-for-18 start to the postseason keeping him out of the lineup. It had been nearly a month since he spent a game at first base; most of his pregame work in recent weeks had come in left field, the position the Astros often needed him most.
“But it’s my natural position,” Mancini said of first base. “I’ve been playing there since I was playing T-ball.”
Astros bench coach Joe Espada, noting Schwarber’s tendencies, got Mancini’s attention and informed him to hug the right-field line. Four pitches later, Schwarber turned on Pressly’s slider and sent a 99 mph one-hopper in that direction. Mancini fielded it on his knees and stepped on first base to end the inning.
“That ball gets by him,” Pressly said, “we’re looking at a different game.”
The same could be said of the ball J.T. Realmuto hit the next inning. The Phillies were down to their final two outs, and their superstar catcher stayed back on a 1-1, outside-corner slider and hit an opposite-field drive that seemed primed for extra bases. It could have gone for a triple, given the weird ways baseballs bounce off that spot at Citizens Bank Park. And the hot-hitting Bryce Harper was up next.
“When the balls are hit that way, sometimes they stay here and sometimes they go in another direction,” longtime Phillies reliever and current Astro Hector Neris said. “He was going to extra bases no matter where it went.”
McCormick, who claims to have been able to dunk a basketball, sprinted 92 feet, gathered himself and timed his jump perfectly, stretching his right hand up near the white stripe that outlines the top of the scoreboard and somehow securing the catch.
Astros right fielder Kyle Tucker, who had come over to back McCormick up, shot his fist into the air. Pressly placed his hands atop his head and kept his mouth ajar as he looked toward the outfield.
“Holy s—,” he recalled thinking.
“Incredible,” Mancini said. “I thought off the bat it was a homer. If not, off the wall.”
McCormick, now 27, grew up in West Chester, 30 miles west of Citizens Bank Park, and attended college about a 90-minute drive away. McCormick still maintains a deep fanhood for the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles; all of his closest friends also continue to root for the Phillies. His catch made him think back to the one Aaron Rowand made against the center-field fence in 2006, which bloodied his nose.
“That catch will never leave my head,” McCormick said. “I remember watching that live on TV and it was amazing.”
McCormick saw anger, disappointment, shock when he looked up at all those faces in the crowd. About a dozen friends and family members were part of a sold-out crowd of 45,693, and suddenly they all went silent.
McCormick took it all in. He laid on the ground, and for a moment time stood still. He didn’t want to get up.
“I wanted to lay there longer,” McCormick said. “If it were the last out, I would’ve laid there all night.”
-
Dave Wilson
AUSTIN, Texas — A week after Arch Manning struggled in a loss at Ohio State, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian saw his quarterback bounce back in a 38-7 win over San Jose State and said this game showcased more of Manning’s style.
Manning matched a career high with four touchdown passes, going 19-of-30 for 295 yards, and added a 20-yard touchdown scramble, tiptoeing down the left sideline at the end of the third quarter.
“I thought today was a by-product of the week of work. He played aggressive throughout the week. He studied the game plan. He knew exactly what we were trying to do, and I thought today he played more of his style,” Sarkisian said. “He extended plays, used his legs, scrambles for a touchdown. That’s the style of player that he is.”
On several plays, Manning rolled out and found receivers. A few of his passes were dropped, with Sarkisian saying Texas “didn’t catch the ball great for him.” But Sarkisian was pleased that Manning made plays when things broke down.
“Him playing his game and not trying to play at somebody else’s style of game, I think it is important for him,” Sarkisian said.
Manning also threw a bad interception while under pressure, heaving the ball into double coverage from the Spartans’ 14-yard line. San Jose State defenders had a shot at picking off a couple of his other throws but failed to haul them in.
“A lot to work on,” Manning said. “I thought it was sloppy for my part. Can’t turn the ball over in the red area. I’ve got to play better. I think all around, it was a little sloppy.”
Manning started slowly, going 3-of-6 for 11 yards on his first two drives. But then, on a third-and-3 with 2:52 left in the first quarter, Manning found Parker Livingstone along the left sideline, and he turned it upfield for an 83-yard touchdown.
The touchdown throw was part of a stretch where Manning went 5-for-5 for 142 yards and four touchdowns, including TDs on three consecutive passing attempts — a 3-yarder to Livingstone, then 36- and 16-yarders to tight end Jack Endries.
“Anytime you can get points on the board after a slow start, it feels good,” Manning said. “Then, [we] finally got some rhythm. Defense started stepping up, too, so we’ve just got to start quicker next week.”
The Longhorns, who committed 12 penalties for 115 yards, have four new offensive line starters, and many new players at wide receiver and tight end. And even Texas stars such as edge rusher Colin Simmons (two penalties for offsides, one for roughing the passer) didn’t perform their best.
“I think as our team in general goes, this is not the best version of Texas football this season that we’re going to see,” Sarkisian said. “My foot’s got to get in their butt here on Monday morning. That’s unacceptable. And there’s a standard in which we want to play the game, and 12 penalties does not meet that standard.”
Manning said all week that he had to play better for Texas to win. He was encouraged by his performance Saturday, finding a way to make plays, but doesn’t believe he’s at his best.
Sarkisian said Manning is gifted with his dual-threat abilities, but his team is learning on the fly how to block for him while he’s scrambling or that he could throw while on the move.
“There’s things that we’re learning as we go as a team, but those are some of the growing pains that we have to work through,” Sarkisian said.
Those growing pains still resulted in an easy win at home Saturday. For Sarkisian, he said he can see the trust growing among his players, including Manning.
“The guys rally around him, you can feel it today on the sidelines,” Sarkisian said. “They really like playing with Arch, and that’s important.”
-
Andrea Adelson
The father of Florida State linebacker Ethan Pritchard was on the sideline Saturday for the Seminoles’ game against East Texas A&M.
Earl Pritchard and another family member were on the sideline wearing his son’s No. 35 jersey. Ethan Pritchard remains hospitalized in Tallahassee after surviving a gunshot wound to the head last weekend.
Prayers up. pic.twitter.com/NCTZyoxiTV
— Warchant.com (@Warchant) September 6, 2025
Florida State safety Earl Little Jr. brought out a No. 35 jersey to midfield for the coin toss, and Florida State players wore No. 35 wristbands to honor their teammate.
All Garnet with the Gold lids
Continuing to think about Ethan 🙏🏼#NoleFamily | #KeepCLIMBing pic.twitter.com/FD6GSNpo5F
— FSU Football (@FSUFootball) September 6, 2025
#NoleFamily 🍢 pic.twitter.com/HSTjx9e7xp
— FSU Football (@FSUFootball) September 6, 2025
Defensive tackle Darrell Jackson Jr. wore a T-shirt with Pritchard’s face on it during pregame warmups.
According to Earl Pritchard, Ethan Pritchard was driving his aunt home when he was shot in the back of the head in Havana, Florida, 16 miles from Tallahassee, on Sunday night.
The Seminoles routed East Texas A&M 77-3 on Saturday, after which coach Mike Norvell presented Earl Pritchard with the game ball, and asked him to break the rock – a tradition generally given to the player of the game after each Seminoles victory.
💛♥️ #NoleFamily pic.twitter.com/kg2kJtMNRA
— FSU Football (@FSUFootball) September 6, 2025
Norvell grew emotional as he discussed Pritchard during his postgame media availability.
“The way that he plays the game … he loves it, he absolutely loves it. To know that right now that’s taken away from him in a senseless act, you don’t always know why you have to go through things in life but I do believe God has his hand over Ethan and this football team,” Norvell said.
“To have Earl here today – He’s a wonderful man, and being with him I know it’s so very hard. I know it’s hard for anybody to have to go through, but he told me early in this week, ‘I know where my boy wants to be so I’m going to go stand in his place for him.'”
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment11 months agoHere are the best electric bikes you can buy at every price level in October 2024