World Series heats up with fierce competition between the Dodgers and Astros

By ARIANA BARRETT

Staff Writer

The 2017 World Series has been a close battle between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Houston Astros. Game four took place in Houston, Texas at Minute Maid Park on Oct. 28. When it came to a conclusion the two teams were tied at two games apiece, making this World Series anyone’s game. However during game five, the two teams endured the longest game in Major League Baseball’s World Series history. The game was five hours and 17 minutes long, ending after 1 a.m.

During the ninth inning the two teams were tied 12 to 12, requiring an additional tenth inning to be in place where the Astros barely won, with a 13 to 12 lead.

Time was not the only world record broken that night. The two teams hit a combined total of seven home runs during game five, adding to the 17 home runs from the previous four games making a grand total of 22 throughout the entire series. The record for the most home runs during a seven game world series was 21, by the New York Giants and the Los Angeles Angels in the 2002 World Series.

There is at least one more game left in this series, giving the 2017 World Series the opportunity to set the bar even higher.

The Dodgers were down three runs in the top of the ninth inning. Dodgers’ outfielder Yasiel Puig hit a two-run home run, bringing their score to 11 to 12. Then, Dodger’s Chris Taylor hit a run batted in single to center field, allowing Austin Barnes to cross the plate, tying the score at 12 to 12.

It is not outlandish that these teams are neck and neck, they both have similar batting averages. Houston collectively has a .253 batting average during this World Series, while the Dodgers have a batting average of .213.

A known fact in baseball is that the most runs are scored when there are two outs. A two-out rally is when a team gets several hits without getting the third out and ideally scores a few runs. In the bottom of the tenth inning Astros’, Brian McCann gets hit by a high fast ball in the arm by Dodgers’ pitcher, Kenley Jansen causing an injury delay. Astros’ George Springer, comes to bat and draws a walk. The Astros put in pinch-runner Derek Fisher to run for McCann to give the Astros a better chance at scoring. Then, Astros’ Alex Bregman hit a walk off run batted in single to left field, bringing Fisher home to win the game, ending the game at 13 to 12 in Houston’s favor.

Some critics claim that the Dodgers snuck in this win through home team advantage. The home team is in the field during the top of an inning and bats in the bottom of inning but if the home team is winning after the top of the ninth inning then there is no bottom of the ninth inning. Because the Dodgers failed to score in the top of tenth inning, any run from the Astros in the bottom of the tenth inning would result in an automatic win of game five.

In order to win, one team must be the first to win four games out of the possible seven. Houston only needs one more to win, while the Dodgers need to win two games consecutively.

Although the Astros are the underdog in this competition, only playing in one World Series before this and losing while the Dodgers have played in 16 and won six, they have some good stats putting them in favor of winning. Such as batter, Jose Altuve’s four RBI’s during three hits in five at bats, scoring three times in just game five alone. Altogether, the Astros have hit five home runs while the Dodgers’ have only hit two.