Major League Baseball

2022 World Series: Astros offense comes alive in Game 4 win

Updated Nov. 3, 2022 2:10 a.m. ET

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Deesha Thosar

MLB Writer

PHILADELPHIA — Kyle Tucker was dancing off second base following his leadoff double to right field. It was the second inning, and the Astros were applying pressure on Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola. 

Yuli Gurriel, in the box, sent a routine ground ball to Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm. Tucker, with Bohm vacuuming the ball just in front of him, faked like he would stay put at second. Then, just as soon as Bohm fired the ball to first, Tucker took off for third. Gurriel was out at first, and Tucker's wheels and heads-up play allowed him to slide safely into third.

"Runs are hard to come by," Tucker said of his thought process during that play. "We're facing really good arms here in the postseason. I was trying to get an extra 90 feet right there and with Yuli getting thrown out at first, it'd be one out with a guy on third. So anything we could do to try and take the extra 90 feet, we're going to try and do it, and be aggressive with it, but still be smart with it."

Houston didn't score any runs that inning; Nola wound up escaping a couple of jams before the floodgates opened. But that aggressiveness from Tucker advancing to third represented just how badly the Astros wanted to even the World Series again, just like they did after falling behind 1-0. 

Alex Bregman talks postgame

Houston's Alex Bregman talks with the "MLB on FOX" crew about the Astros tying up the series and doing so in just the second no-hitter in World Series history.

"That's the theme: we get punched in the face the first game, then we win the second game, we get punched in the face the third game, then we win the fourth game," Astros outfielder Chas McCormick said. "So tomorrow's going to be a dogfight. It's a really big game tomorrow."

Game 5 is Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports App.

The Astros finally snapped their 16-inning scoreless drought in the fifth inning. They collected three straight singles off Nola to load the bases with nobody out. Phillies manager Rob Thomson, continuing his aggressive bullpen management in this series, pulled Nola in favor of one of his best relievers, southpaw Jose Alvarado, with dangerous slugger Yordan Alvarez at the plate.

Alvarado's first pitch of the night drilled Alvarez. And that's how the Astros put a run on the board for the first time since the fifth inning of their Game 2 win over the Phillies on Saturday night at Minute Maid Park.

"We had a good mindset grinding out every at-bat," Tucker said. "We were very competitive in the box tonight."

Though the scoreless drought ended uncharacteristically on a bases-loaded hit by pitch, what came next was, well, typical Astros.

Behind in the count, 0-2, Alex Bregman showed off his quick bat and jumped on Alvarado's 100-mph sinker for a two-run double to right field, which extended the Astros' lead to 3-0. 

Alex Bregman hits a two-run double

Alex Bregman's big hit keyed Houston's five-run outburst in the fifth.

Then Tucker's sacrifice fly to center field tacked another run on the board. Gurriel's RBI single to left field completed the offensive barrage, putting the Astros ahead 5-0 in the fifth. No home runs needed; it was old school and infectious small-ball. 

"It was a pass-the-baton kind of inning," Bregman said. "Guys putting together good quality at-bats, swinging at pitches that were good pitches to hit, each guy not trying to do too much, just staying within themselves." 

By the time 27 outs went in the books, those five runs were more than enough for the ‘Stros to win. Headed by Houston's most impressive starter, 25-year-old right-hander Cristian Javier, and the three relievers that followed him, the Phillies were no-hit by the Astros. 

The 45,693 at Citizens Bank Park were silenced in an eerily quiet ballpark that, just 24 hours earlier, was shaking with electricity. But the Astros lineup that showed up in Tuesday's Game 3 loss was recklessly swinging away and chasing pitches without putting pressure on Phillies pitchers. To flush that feeling, Houston's game plan on Wednesday was simple: attack early and put together better at-bats. 

Jeremy Peña gives his POV

Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña describes what the team's combined no-hitter was like from his point of view.

In Game 4, the merciless identity of the Astros returned. These were the Astros who didn't waste golden opportunities to score. These were the Astros who not only punished mistakes, but also punished quality pitches. These were the Astros who, after getting shut out the night before, roared back to even the World Series at 2-2 and, in doing so, ensured that MLB's final and most high-stakes matchup of the year would head back to their home turf in Houston.

Still, the Astros have only scored those five runs in their last 21 innings played. In Thursday's pivotal Game 5, Houston's hitters will look to keep adding on to that total against Phillies starter Noah Syndergaard. 

"Overall, we did a great job of putting together great at-bats and swinging at good pitches today in general," Bregman said. "I know we only scored five runs, but I thought our swing decisions were a lot better."

Deesha Thosar is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets for the New York Daily News. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

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Deesha Thosar