Major League Baseball

World Series is even after Astros’ aggressive game plan against Phillies

Updated Oct. 30, 2022 9:00 p.m. ET

HOUSTON — The Astros, aggressive early, were determined to even the World Series before going on the road to the electric atmosphere in Philly.

"Today was a must-win game for us," said Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr., who will start Monday "That's how we were approaching it. You never want to go down 2-0, especially when the first two are at home."

After flushing the bitter taste of Friday night's extra-inning Game 1 loss, the Astros settled Game 2 in the first inning and held on for a 5-2 win over the Phillies on Saturday at Minute Maid Park. The World Series is even at 1-1 before Monday night's Game 3 at Citizens Bank Park.

The Astros jumped on Zack Wheeler early and often to hang a crooked number against the Phillies as immediately as the first inning. Wheeler's first four pitches of Saturday night — in his first career World Series start — resulted in three doubles and two runs.

"It felt like we put up 10 in that first inning," said Astros outfielder Chas McCormick.

Leadoff man José Altuve pounced on Wheeler's first pitch, a 94 mph sinker in the heart of the zone, and deposited it into left field. Then Wheeler stayed away from his sinker, switched it up and offered an 82-MPH curveball to No. 2 hitter Jeremy Peña, who promptly ripped the first pitch of his at-bat to left field for an RBI double.

Then it was slugger Yordan Álvarez's turn to step into the box. Again, Wheeler adjusted and mixed his pitches. The sinker didn't work; neither did the curveball. So he offered his first fastball of the night, a 97 mph heater in the upper half of the strike zone that Álvarez fouled off. That contact was dangerous, so again Wheeler reached into his bag and offered his fourth different pitch of the night. Alvarez jumped on Wheeler's 92 mph slider, a pitch that was in a nearly identical spot to the previous fastball, and clanked it off the left-field wall for an RBI double.

"We all know he’s a really good pitcher, but we also know his plan of attack is to attack hitters early in the count," Álvarez later said through an interpreter. "That’s why we changed it, became aggressive, attacked him, and thankfully we were able to do it."

Before the 42,926 in attendance at Minute Maid Paid could even catch their breath, the first four pitches of Wheeler's outing resulted in a 2-0 Astros lead. But Houston's aggressive approach was just beginning. Álvarez, in a risky but rewarding play, advanced to third on a Kyle Tucker flyout to center field. It paid off when, with two outs in the first inning, Edmundo Sosa made a costly throwing error on a Yuli Gurriel groundout to shortstop. The miscue allowed Álvarez to score the third run of the first inning.

"They were just aggressive and I left those first two balls right over the heart of the plate and that’s what a good team does with it," Wheeler said afterward of that stunning first inning. "I tried to obviously match their aggressiveness and get off the corners a little bit more. They just came out swinging and the ball was right down the middle."

Wheeler settled down for the most part after that hectic first inning, retiring eight of his next 11 batters while pitching efficiently. His velocity was down a couple of ticks from what it had been in the first inning of his four previous playoff starts this October. But it wasn't that different from his usual regular-season numbers. It was clear Wheeler didn't have his best stuff Saturday when, in the fifth inning, Bregman tabbed him for a two-run home run to left field.

Just like in Game 1, the Astros had once again stormed ahead to a 5-0 lead over the Phillies. Try as they might, the Phillies failed to replicate another epic comeback in Game 2.

"I think everybody deserves a poor start every once in a while," Phillies manager Rob Thomson of Wheeler.

Astros southpaw Framber Valdez's strong 6 ⅓-inning, nine-strikeout outing didn't give the Phillies any space to create momentum. Once he exited, though, the Phillies had their best shot at doing damage in the eighth inning, against Astros reliever Rafael Montero.

Kyle Schwarber clubbed what was initially ruled a two-run home run toward the right-field foul pole off Montero, believing his swing cut the Phillies' deficit to 5-3. He even completed a slow jog around the bases. But after a replay review featuring several different camera angles, Schwarber's home run was overturned. It was a foul ball that sailed just east of the pole. Schwarber picked up his bat, returned to the plate and sent Montero's next pitch to deep right field on the warning track. Tucker settled under it and caught the first out of the inning to end the wacky at-bat. Game of inches.

Still, the fightin' Phils persisted. They put runners on the corners for Bryce Harper, who popped out to shallow right field to end the eighth inning. The Phillies had their chances and, just like in Game 1 of the World Series, they continued to battle all while trailing by five runs. But that magic comeback didn't materialize for Philly.

"To come into this environment with them, I mean obviously we want to be going home 2-0, but I’ll take the split," Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos said. "Now we got three at home to take care of business."

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.