Inside the at-bat that won Justin Verlander his first World Series game

PHILADELPHIA -- Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander knew the stakes.

He had stepped up to the mound connected Thursday for Game 5 of the World Series with plentifulness to prove. Winless successful 7 vocation games successful the Fall Classic, helium had conscionable blown a 5-0 pb successful Game 1 of this series, a crippled successful which galore believed manager Dusty Baker near him successful excessively long. He had a 6.07 ERA successful World Series games, astir 3 runs higher than his vocation average. On apical of each that sat the precise existent anticipation that this would beryllium his past commencement successful an Astros jersey.

And then, connected his 2nd transportation of the game, Verlander gave up a lead-off location tally to Phillies near fielder Kyle Schwarber. After losing that Game 1 pb -- and present giving up an aboriginal homer -- adjacent a seasoned similar the 39-year-old Verlander was shaken.

"It conscionable sucks due to the fact that of the infinitesimal and evidently each the questions and weight," helium said. "But you person to trust connected the hundreds of starts and the thousands of pitches I've thrown before, and conscionable benignant of say, 'Okay, I've fixed up leadoff location runs before, fto maine carnivore down.'"

Through 4 innings, Verlander had labored but survived, and helium had a 2-1 pb arsenic the 5th inning -- an inning he'd person to implicit to beryllium eligible for a triumph -- began. After 2 speedy outs, Bryce Harper lined a treble to right. That's erstwhile Philadelphia Phillies close fielder Nick Castellanos stepped into the box.

Verlander's transportation number was approaching 90. It was his 3rd clip done the order. This time, the bullpen was active. This would beryllium a defining infinitesimal for the aboriginal Hall of Famer.

"I was considering, aft the Bryce double, whether Dusty was going to permission maine successful determination oregon not," Verlander said aft the Astros' 3-2 win. "I wasn't sure. I was thankful for the opportunity, and thankful to travel through."

But it wouldn't beryllium easy.

"I thought my 3rd at-bat against Verlander was my champion of the series," Castellanos said aft the game.

The Phillies slugger had been slumping successful this World Series, conscionable 2-for-16 successful the archetypal 4 games, but was successful the midst of his champion nighttime astatine the sheet -- adjacent if helium had small to amusement for it. His at-bats against Verlander were getting amended and better. A archetypal inning fly-out was followed by a 3rd inning, 105 mph enactment thrust that was caught by shortstop Jeremy Pena. Now helium stepped to the sheet with the tying tally connected 2nd successful beforehand of a raucous Citizens Bank Park. The adjacent fewer seconds would beryllium precocious drama.

"I don't deliberation JV would've wanted it immoderate different way," teammate Alex Bregman said. "Those large situations, having to marque large transportation aft large transportation -- that's Justin Verlander. He makes large transportation aft large pitch."

During the regular season, Castellanos ranked 4th successful shot successful swinging onslaught percentage, but connected this night, helium wasn't missing. He kept fouling disconnected transportation aft pitch.

Verlander threw everything successful his arsenal, opening with sliders and fastballs, yet moving connected to a uncommon change-up. That transportation was hammered down the near tract enactment -- but foul.

"We could person gone a fig of ways," pitching manager Josh Miller said. "He emptied the vessel and threw each of his worldly to Nick there."

After a enactment thrust which astir landed just successful left, catcher Martin Maldonado took a dilatory locomotion to the mound. Verlander had thrown 7 pitches to Castellanos and the number was 2-2. "It's a large concern close there," Maldonado said. "I privation to marque definite we some hold connected the aforesaid pitch."

They didn't.

Verlander wanted to propulsion a curveball; Maldonado wanted to propulsion "something else." His pitcher won the debate.

"Nick had, to me, looking backmost astatine Game 1, astir apt the at-bat of that game," Verlander said of the two-out azygous that scored the archetypal tally of the Phillies' rally against Verlander successful the bid opener. "Here, I find myself connected the verge of a shot crippled again with him up and conscionable wanted to -- conscionable truly wanted to get him out."

Verlander threw the transportation helium wanted -- twice. But Castellanos took 1 for a shot and fouled the 2nd curveball off.

Finally, for the 10th transportation of the at-bat, Maldonado went backmost to the slider. It wasn't cleanable -- it mightiness person caught excessively overmuch of the sheet -- but it was effective. Castellanos deed a lazy alert shot to left. The inning was over.

"I conscionable missed it," Castellanos said. "This is simply a crippled of centimeters. If I'm connected apical of that shot a small spot more, we're successful a antithetic concern for the remainder of the game.

"I was doing my champion to enactment relaxed and effort to tube up something. I astir did."

Verlander escaped. And by doing so, helium earned his archetypal triumph successful the World Series, aft the Astros held the Phillies to conscionable 1 much tally successful a 3-2 victory. The alleviation was each implicit Verlander's look aft his outing -- and successful the agelong embraces helium gave Baker aft that at-bat, arsenic good arsenic Chas McCormick aft a game-saving location tally robbery successful the ninth inning.

"They gave maine the rookie attraction aft the game," Verlander said. "They enactment maine successful the cart and rolled maine successful the ablution and conscionable doused maine with each sorts of stuff.

"It was 1 of the champion feelings successful my career."