The Los Angeles Dodgers are in the World Series for consecutive seasons, this time taking on the Toronto Blue Jays in their search for back-to-back titles. With the series all tied up at 2-2, game five obviously becomes crucial.
Eight Years Ago Today: 2017 World Series Game 5 Revisited
Eight years ago, today on Oct. 29, 2017, another game five of the World Series took place between the Houston Astros and the Dodgers. LA made their first appearance in the Fall Classic since 1988. That game began the golden era of baseball in Houston, with the Astros making their first World Series appearance since 2005.
Just looking at the games themselves, this was an exceptionally entertaining series that went the full seven-game distance. The standout of the 2017 World Series between the Dodgers and Astros was game five. Although other fan bases looked at it skeptically after the sign-stealing scandal broke in 2020, Astros fans consider this one of the best games they have witnessed. Most baseball fans remember game five of this World Series due to the incredible back-and-forth nature and high-scoring duel between the Astros and Dodgers.
With the Dodgers back in the World Series this year taking on George Springer, who is on the Blue Jays, the 2017 fall classic has come up constantly over the past week. Springer was the 2017 World Series MVP, as the Astros beat the Dodgers in seven games. Springer hit five home runs during this series, including one in game five.
What Happened in Game Five
Even with all the criticism, this game was one for the ages. The 2017 World Series was tied 2-2 heading into this game at Minute Maid Park in Houston. The Astros had won game three, but lost game four the previous night 6-2, where LA scored five runs in the ninth inning. It was tied at one heading into the inning, but Ken Giles really struggled. Dodgers starter Alex Wood only gave up one run in 5.2 innings, but the offense for both teams exploded the next day.
This was a must-win game for Houston, but the Dodgers came out firing and took an early 3-0 lead after the first inning. Astros ace Dallas Keuchel faced instant pressure with the bases loaded and just two outs recorded. Forsythe had a two-RBI single, and a third run scored on a defensive mistake by the Astros on the bases. Catcher Austin Barnes added another RBI in the fourth inning, and the Dodgers led 4-0.
Astros Wake Up
In the bottom of the inning with Springer and Altuve on base, Carlos Correa had an RBI double. Yuli Gurriel then came up and crushed a slider to tie the game. Joe Buck’s call of “Gurriel…has tied it!”, is a famous one in Houston. With Keuchel out of the game early, Cody Bellinger answered in the top of the fifth with another three-run homer as the Dodgers retook a 7-4 lead.
This game was full of responses. With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Houston rallied. Springer and Alex Bregman both walked to set up Jose Altuve, the 2017 MVP. Kenta Maeda was on for the Dodgers, and with a 3-2 count, Altuve launched another three-run blast 415 feet to center to tie the game at 7.
Fast forward to the seventh inning, Bellinger once again delivered with an RBI triple, and LA took the lead back. The unique part of this game is each team kept answering each other. Springer crushed the very first pitch of the bottom of the inning to tie it again at 8. Altuve followed that up with an RBI double, and Correa joined the party with a two-run homer that went way up and dropped into the Crawford Boxes. The Astros led 11-8 through seven innings.
Dodgers Don’t Go Away
After each team added on another run, the ninth inning set the stage for chaos. With the score 12-9, Yasiel Puig hooked a two-run shot into the Crawford Boxes to cut the deficit to one. Barnes followed with a double. Now down their last out and strike, Chris Taylor drove in a clutch RBI single and tied the game at 12. Astros reliever Chris Devenski struggled mightily and gave up all three runs.
Extra innings followed as Houston couldn’t get anything off Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen besides a double from Gurriel. Astros reliever Joe Musgrove threw a scoreless top of the 10th, paving the way for a wild finish.
The Ending
With two outs in the bottom of the inning, Jansen hit Astros catcher Brian McCann. Springer followed that with a walk. The winning run was now in scoring position. Bregman wasted no time. On the first pitch of his at-bat, Bregman lined a single to left-center. Derek Fisher, the pinch-runner for McCann, turned on his jets and slid across the plate in time for the 13-12 win. Bregman was the hero, and that moment remains one of the most iconic hits of his great career.
Both teams had 14 hits each, but the Astros found a way in extra innings thanks to Bregman. Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw went only 4.2 innings and gave up six earned runs. Both bullpens couldn’t contain much, but Musgrove got the win in the stat sheet. Altuve and Bellinger each had 4 RBIs.
Houston lost game 6 in LA but dominated Game 7 with a 5-1 score to win its first championship.
Main Photo Credits: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
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