Astros tie World Series at one game apiece

The Houston Astros have found a way to tie the 2021 World Series at one game apiece. On Wednesday from Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX, the Astros defeated the Atlanta Braves 7-2 in game two of the best out of seven series.

The Astros received a strong pitching performance from starting pitcher Jose Urquidy of Mazatlan, Mexico. Urquidy threw five innings and gave up six hits and two earned runs. However, it was Urquidy’s control which was stellar. He had seven strikeouts compared to zero walks.

This was Urquidy’s second career World Series win. He previously recorded the victory for the Astros in game four of the 2019 World Series, a 8-1 Houston win over the Washington Nationals on October 26, 2019. Even though the Astros won the game, they lost the World Series in seven games. The series was unique because the road team won every game of the seven game set.

Offensively for the Astros in game two, Houston was led by their first two batters in the order, second baseman Jose Altuve of Maracay, Venezuela, and left fielder Michael Brantley of Bellevue, WA. Both Altuve and Brantley were the only Astros in the lineup with a multi-hit game as they each had two hits. Altuve had a single and a home run, while Brantley had a single and a   double. Altuve and Brantley also contributed to the Astros’ only extra base hits in game two.

Altuve meanwhile tied New York Yankees centerfielder Bernie Williams of San Juan, Puerto Rico for the second most home runs ever by a player in the postseason. Altuve and Williams each have 22. The player with the most home runs in a postseason is Manny Ramirez of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, who had 29 playoff home runs with the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, and Los Angeles Dodgers. The series now shifts to Atlanta for game three on Friday night.