2017 World Series: Game 5 live blog

And you just thought that Game 4 was the pivotal game of the 2017 World Series.

Enter Game 5, the most important game of the 2017 World Series. Win tonight’s game and the Astros are in the driver’s seat. Win tonight’s game and the Dodgers own the driver’s seat, the passenger’s seat, the entire back seat, and relegate the Astros to the back of the truck.

Yes, it’s important. And, you can bet Dallas Keuchel understands the ramifications, implications, complications and consquences.

Tonight’s game may define the short leash. Keuchel may get the benefit of the doubt, but A.J. Hinch will likely be on the top step of the dugout with any other pitcher tonight.

But perhaps more than a good game from Keuchel, the one thing that Houston may need more is for Jose Altuve to be Jose Altuve. When he hits, it electifies the team. Has LA figured him out or is he just in a slump that has him chasing — and missing — pitches?

Keuchel can throw a complete game, two-hitter and give up one run. However, if Houston doesn’t hit, it won’t matter. You gotta dance with what brung you here and that’s the best-hitting team in the majors.

There are several oddities in this World Series. For example:

  • Houston has only one stolen base, but eight home runs.
  • The AL batting champion (Jose Altuve) has three hits and one RBI.
  • The two leadoff hitters (George Springer and Alex Bregman) have as many home runs (4) and RBI (7) together as the rest of the team combined.
  • Evan Gattis has three walks and no Ks in eight plate appearances.
  • The Astros have scored 15 runs in 4 games, but 12 of those runs have come in two games.

And, a couple of questions….

  • With up to three games to go, do you really believe that Hinch won’t have to use Ken Giles, Luke Gregerson or Joe Musgrove or even Francisco Liriano?
  • In a real tight, specific situation — and with a day off tomorrow — is Justin Verlander available for a hitter or an inning?
  • What will be an early tip-off to you that Game 5 is or is not going well?
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190 responses to “2017 World Series: Game 5 live blog”

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  1. Undoubtedly Hinch will have to use the pen and I’m OK with every one but Giles.

    That’s a tough one. I don’t think I’d chance it.

    When the strike zone is established.

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  2. SI has an article about the game balls, and you can really see the difference in a WS ball, and a normal season ball. This might turn out to be HUGE if it costs any of the Dodgers pitchers or our pitchers their game😠.

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  3. This is gonna be the BIGGEST game for Bergman, and Correa. I throughly expect big defence plays by both of these guys. I’m crossing my fingers that no one has an error behind Keuchel. Please!! Keuchel has this….take that to the bank!

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  4. I say how we respond in the first inning with both pitching (ie no first pitch home runs against Keuchel) and also how we attack a guy who could be remembered as the best pitcher of the generation. We’ve got to also get the crowd going from the start of the game because they can be difference makers. I guess we will just have to see how things go. It’s going to be exciting and nerve wracking at the same time for all of us true Astros fans here in the Chipalatta family.

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  7. Dodger hitters seem to be sitting on pitches, waiting for the fastball. They are sitting on pitches out the zone, DK has to be on the money. And LF just hit his fastball for two runs

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  11. It should only be 1-0 really terrible errors by both Marwin and Yuli. C’mon guys. Looking like Kershaw is going to get all those strike calls. We’ve got to be able to put the ball in play.

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  13. Never thought I’d have to say this, but I’m gonna turn this game off.
    Keuchel can’t throw strkes, and the guys behind him brought guns to the game so they can shoot him.

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  15. Keuchel better but already an elevated pitch count. Already at 45. Probably won’t make 6 innings even if he does get back on track.

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  21. Gregerson are you kidding me looking at our body language and heads hanging down when they go back in the dugout, the Yuli deal really hurt, we lost our Mojo. I was hoping so much this wouldn’t be the case. Baseball more than any sport is a confidence head game.

    My question is where would we be in this post season with out JV, dang.

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  22. I know you can’t cry over spilled milk, you can’t live in the past and you have to let bygones be bygones (did I miss a cliche?), but if McHugh comes in and pitches well, you have to wonder where this series would be if Hinch had made that move last night.

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  33. Oh no – Yuli was eating a cracker in the dugout and Kershaw took that as calling him a white cracker…. so he’s gone for the result of the WS (brought to you by YouTube Live)

    (Diane this did not really happen – so don’t freak)

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  37. You know, everyone needs to have a chance to warm up to the craziness of a big game like this, but as a pitcher, you just don’t have that time. You have to be on the very first pitch! I like Collin and wished he’d have had the chance last night, but he must be on a short leash!

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  46. Bellinger held up his finger to shhhh the fans. I find that personally insulting plus I’m sure that holding your finger to your mouth is culturally unacceptable in Iceland – so let’s suspend him

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  47. We’ll remember this as the moment it happened, Hinch lost this game by putting the worst pitcher on his staff in with a tied score in game 5 of the World Series. Terrible move. Verlander and McCullers are going to have to shoulder a heavy load.

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