Simulated World Series: Phillies comeback falls just short as Astros win Game 2
How will this year's World Series play out? Using the Dynasty League Baseball online simulation, Paste BN Sports' Steve Gardner and DLB designer Mike Cieslinski will pre-play each game to provide some insight into the key matchups and strategy fans can expect to see in the Fall Classic.
Sim Series Game 2: Pressly slams the door in Houston
In another tense, close game, the Philadelphia Phillies' hopes for a comeback victory died at the warning track as the Houston Astros held on for a 6-5 victory in Game 2 of Paste BN Sports' annual Siulated World Series.
Houston jumped out to a 5-1 lead against Phillies starter Zack Wheeler (0-1) on an RBI single by Alex Bregman, a two-run homer by Chas McCormick and a two-run double by Yordan Alvarez.
Philadelphia came back with three runs in the fifth, all of them with two outs, to cut the deficit to one run. But they could get no closer as several potential game-changing deep drives landed in the gloves of Houston outfielders just short of the wall.
BOX SCORE: Astros 6, Phillies 5
FULL PLAY-BY-PLAY: McCormick, Alvarez lift Astros with key hits
How it happened
After Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins narrowly missed a home run in the top of the first inning, the Astros took the early lead in the bottom of the frame when Bregman's two-out double scored Jose Altuve from first base.
Houston padded its lead in the second when Chas McCormick hit a Wheeler fastball to deep left-center and above the yellow line on the archway for a two-run homer.
Astros starter Framber Valdez (1-0) wasn't dominant, yielding nine hits and three walks over six innings, but he was able to get the important outs when he needed them. He limited the damage in the fourth inning after Matt Vierling's RBI single plated the Phillies' first run by striking out Kyle Schwarber and Edmundo Sosa with two runners on base.
Alvarez padded the Astros' lead with a two-run double in the bottom of the fourth when his line drive to center barely got past the glove of Vierling in right-center field.
The Phils got to Valdez in the fifth when Hoskins laced a two-out RBI triple to left-center, Nick Castellanos drove him in with a single and later scored on an error by shortstop Jeremy Peña.
Astros catcher Martin Maldonado added what turned out to be a huge run on a solo homer in the sixth as the Phillies finally broke through for a run against the Astros bullpen in the eighth.
Pressly set down the heart of the Philadelphia order in the ninth, striking out Bryce Harper, getting Hoskins on a fly ball to deep left field and Castellanos on a fly out to center.
What to watch in (the actual) Game 2
Different look vs. lefty: With southpaw Valdez on the mound, the Phillies shook up their batting order -- moving Schwarber (.193/.301/.386 vs. LHP in regular season) out of the leadoff role, and putting catcher J.T. Realmuto and second baseman Jean Segura in the first two spots.
The move seemed to pay off in Sim Series Game 2 as both players singled and walked at least once against Valdez. However, Segura did hit into a double play in the fifth that may have kept the Phillies from putting up an even bigger inning.
Also, two other lefty hitters, shortstop Bryson Stott and center fielder Brandon Marsh were on the bench to start the game in favor of Sosa and Vierling.
Falling just short: Just a few feet can make a huge difference for a power-hitting team like the Phillies. In this game, the breaks just didn't go their way as every single deep fly ball seemed to fall just short of the wall.
How long will the starters go? Both Valdez and Wheeler took their lumps over six and five innings, respectively. Valdez yielded four runs (three earned) and Wheeler was responsible for six runs (five earned). Look for both managers to go to their bullpens a bit earlier in the game if their starters struggle.
Defensive range comes into play: By starting Vierling in center, the Phillies give up a bit on defense. Dynasty League Baseball gives him a "C" range rating, compared to Marsh's "B" rating. That difference came into play on Alvarez's two-run double in the fourth that gave Houston a 5-1 lead. Marsh would've had a better chance to run down that ball.
Previous Sim Series results
Game 1: Astros 4, Phillies 3
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