Phillies win World Series Game 1 2022

HOUSTON — Game 1’s would-be hero drifted back and leapt in pursuit of the fly ball hurtling over the right-field wall. But there was no catching this blast off the bat of J.T. Realmuto. And on this night, there was no stopping the Fightin’ Phils.

Realmuto’s go-ahead leadoff homer in the top of the 10th, just over the outstretched glove of Kyle Tucker, gave a Phillies team that squeaked into the playoffs with the National League’s sixth seed their wildest, most resilient win yet. In a 6-5 triumph Friday night at Minute Maid Park, the Phils not only became the first team to beat the Astros in this postseason, but also became the first World Series team in 20 years to win a game it had trailed by five runs.

“That,” Realmuto said, “is a Phillies win right there.”

It was a game the Astros had led, 5-0, after three innings. A game that had seemed like it would be best remembered for Tucker’s two early home runs off Aaron Nola.

In all best-of-seven postseason series, teams winning Game 1 have gone on to win 121 of 187 times (65 percent). In series with the current 2-3-2 format, teams grabbing a 1-0 lead on the road have then won 39 of 69 times (57 percent), including the Phillies’ Game 1 victory over the Padres in the NL Championship Series.

The last team to win a World Series game it had trailed by five runs? The 2002 Angels in Game 6 … against Dusty Baker’s Giants.

We shall see if this loss looms as large in this year’s Series as those did. But whether or not it lingers, the bitterness of this defeat was palpable, given the way this game began.

“They just took it from us tonight,” Baker said.

Minute Maid Park had been loud and proud when Tucker’s Ted Williams swing had produced a solo shot in the second on a Nola changeup and a three-run shot in the third on a sinker. This was a coming-out party for one of the more underrated Astros, a 25-year-old right fielder who can influence the outcome with his bat, glove and legs.

“Kyle, he’s been fantastic for us all year,” Verlander said. “Should probably win a Silver Slugger. One of the best hitters in baseball. So I don’t think anybody’s surprised in our locker room.”

Tucker’s taters had put a 5-0 lead in Verlander’s hands. And in a bid to squash past World Series struggles, the 2022 AL Cy Young front-runner had been perfect through three efficient innings. He had gone undefeated in his past 67 decisions in which his team gave him five or more runs of support.

But…