The Phillies cruised to a 7-0 victory with all seven runs coming on homers. Harper, Alec Bohm, Brandon Marsh, Kyle Schwarber and Rhys Hoskins each went deep once. Phillies starter Ranger Suarez, back in the game for Game 3 after Monday’s rain postponement, threw five scoreless innings. When manager Rob Thompson turned to the bullpen, he had the luxury of a huge cushion. Astros captain Dusty Baker raised his eyebrows, no sooner turning to his well-stocked, well-rested bathrobe. McCullers finished by allowing an MLB postseason record five home runs — a stat that reflects the way he pitched, yes, but also how long he stayed out there when he clearly wasn’t mocking the Phillies’ lineup. Even if he had been pulled before facing the lineup a third time — conventional even in the regular season now — he would have allowed just three homers.
Bryce Harper leads the charge against Lance McCullers Jr.
The Philly fireworks started almost immediately. After a walk to Kyle Schwarber, Harper completely demolished the first World Series pitch he saw at Citizens Bank Park. In the second inning, the Phillies smoked two more homers to put the Astros up a daunting 4-0. The final blast left McCullers with all seven runs on his plate, the most runs allowed by a World Series starter since 2004. Still, McCullers could have been on the hook for the loss with just one homer given the punchless performance of the Astros offense. They didn’t manage a single extra base hit, even against the second tier of the Phillies bullpen.
Was McCullers flipping his pitches?
If the fastballs to home didn’t raise suspicions that McCullers was flipping his pitches, Harper’s pre-bat whisper to Bohm — who immediately homered — did. The story continues Internet pundits and broadcaster John Smoltz soon began uncovering ways the Astros starter might have been warning the Phillies of what was coming. Notably, McCullers refused to throw his fastball, especially to left-handers, so they could sit on his usually dynamic fastballs. He only threw 14 sinkers (his primary fastball) in 78 pitches. He settled down shortly after the initial burst of long balls, at one point retiring eight in a row. But Baker did him no favors by allowing him to face the top of the class for a third time. He allowed homers to both Schwarber and Hoskins to make dubious history before he finally got the hook. The Phillies now have a clear goal: Try to end the streak without going back to Houston. To do that, they will first need to win Game 4 on Wednesday night. Countryman Aaron Nola, coming off a rough Game 1 outing, takes the ball for the Phillies. The Astros will start Cristian Javier, who has really been their third best baseman all season and one of the best strikeouts in baseball. How did we get here? Catch up on everything you need to know about the World Series:
