PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kyle Schwarber stepped to the plate in the eighth inning with Game 5 riding on his powerful bat — and frenzied Phillies fans waving “We Want A Schwarbomb!!” signs — and ripped the ball down the first-base line.
Early in the game, the scorcher is a game-tying double. But defensive replacement Trey Mancini snagged the ball from his knees and tapped first base to leave two runners stranded and end the inning.
J.T. Realmuto gave the ball a ride in the ninth, only for Houston center fielder Chas McCormick to make the catch of his career against the wall. Bryce Harper was hit by a pitch with two outs but — yes, one more time — the final Phillies baserunner was left stranded when Nick Castellanos grounded out to end the 3-2 loss to the Astros on Thursday night.
“Being at home, we were excited for the opportunity,” Harper said of big hitters up in the ninth. “It just didn’t happen.”
Tough luck or not, the Phillies’ crunch-time flops cost them again and the NL champions are also down 3-2 in the World Series headed into Game 6.
A night after the Phillies became the second team ever to be no-hit in the World Series, a punchless lineup had another meager game after Schwarber led off the game with a home run. Just six hits in Game 5.
Back in a hole, the Phillies don’t have a long summer ahead to pull off another comeback. And unless they start hitting in Houston, their next ride home will be only for a clubhouse cleanout — not a parade.
Each rally-killing out raised one question among the Philly faithful — Uhh, so how are the Eagles doing?
Harper was reliable again with two walks and a double but the Phillies let Houston ace Justin Verlander, who had been winless in six World Series decisions, and four relievers off the hook.
“They made big pitches in big situations,” first baseman Rhys Hoskins said. “I thought we kept the pressure on them throughout the game. It started with Schwarber. Got us right back in the game.”
Schwarber homered on Verlander’s second pitch in Game 5, a day after four Astros pitchers combined on the no-hitter against Philadelphia. The Astros had held the Phillies hitless for 11 innings dating to Game 3, matching the longest streak in any postseason set by the New York Yankees in 1939. Philadelphia hitters were 0 for 36 in that span.
The Phillies loaded the bases in the second with two outs. Hoskins struck out swinging on an 89 mph slider that sucked the air out of Citizens Bank Park. Hoskins struck out four times and is hitting just .142 in the World Series.
In the third, Philadelphia again had two runners on base and two outs, only Bryson Stott snuffed the threat with a fly out to right.
In the fifth, Castellanos slammed his helmet on the dirt after his flyout to left ended the inning and left the tying run stranded on second base to keep it a 2-1 game.
“I just missed it,” he said. “It’s a game of centimeters or whatever. If I’m on top of that ball a little bit more, we’re in a different situation the rest of the game. He made his pitch and I got out.”
