While the Phillies sure would have liked to erase another five-run deficit in Game 2, they achieved a major goal in Houston by coming away with a split. The series now shifts to Philadelphia for a Game 3 matchup between Lance McCullers Jr. and Noah Syndergaard. The Astros are road favorites and have vaulted back into being the clear favorite for the series, as their price to win the World Series ranges from -165 to -180 after being a few cents higher than that prior to the start of the Fall Classic.
Before I get into my Game 3 thoughts, shout-out to plate umpire Pat Hoberg, who turned in a perfect game per @UmpScorecards in Game 2. I’m very much in favor of robot umps. We had one here and he’s been properly praised in all baseball circles for his efforts. What a time to be flawless.
The reason why I took the Astros to win the World Series is because of Games 3 and 4. There is not a shadow of a doubt that McCullers and Game 4 starter Cristian Javier are better than Syndergaard and Ranger Suarez. That is what made the Game 1 win behind Aaron Nola so important. What is concerning is that the Astros had success against both Nola and Zack Wheeler, as Wheeler’s fastball velocity was down early and his command never really caught up.