| 2022 World Series | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Dates | October 28 – November 5 | |||||||||
| Venue(s) | Minute Maid Park (Houston) Citizens Bank Park (Philadelphia) | |||||||||
| MVP | Jeremy Peña (Houston) | |||||||||
| Umpires | Jordan Baker,Lance Barksdale,Tripp Gibson,Pat Hoberg,James Hoye,Dan Iassogna (crew chief),Alan Porter | |||||||||
| Broadcast | ||||||||||
| Television | Fox (United States –English) Fox Deportes (United States –Spanish) MLB International (International) | |||||||||
| TV announcers | Joe Davis,John Smoltz,Ken Rosenthal, andTom Verducci (Fox) Adrián García Márquez,Edgar González, Carlos Álvarez, and Jaime Motta (Fox Deportes) Dave Flemming andDan Plesac (MLB International – English) | |||||||||
| Radio | ESPN (United States – English) TUDN (United States – Spanish) WIP,WPHT,KYW (PHI – English) WTTM (PHI – Spanish) KBME (HOU – English) KLAT (HOU – Spanish) | |||||||||
| Radio announcers | Dan Shulman,Jessica Mendoza,Eduardo Pérez andBuster Olney (ESPN) Jesús Acosta, Enrique Burak, Alberto Ferreiro, José Luis Nápoles, Luis Eduardo Quiñones, and Antonio de Valdés (TUDN) Scott Franzke,Tom McCarthy, andLarry Andersen (WIP) Oscar Budejen and Bill Kulik (WTTM) Robert Ford andSteve Sparks (KBME) Francisco Romero andAlex Treviño (KLAT) | |||||||||
| ALCS | Houston Astros overNew York Yankees (4–0) | |||||||||
| NLCS | Philadelphia Phillies overSan Diego Padres (4–1) | |||||||||
| World Series program | ||||||||||
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The2022 World Series was thechampionship series ofMajor League Baseball's (MLB)2022 season. The 118th edition of the World Series, it was abest-of-seven playoff between theNational League (NL)championPhiladelphia Phillies theAmerican League (AL)championHouston Astros. The Astros defeated the Phillies in six games to earn their second World Series championship, redeeming themselves after anillegal sign stealing scandal tainted their2017 championship. The series was broadcast in the United States onFox television andESPN Radio.[1]
The Astros entered the2022 MLB postseason as theAL West champions and the top-seeded AL team, while the Phillies won awild card, earning the sixth and final NL playoff berth. The Phillies took a 2–1 lead after three games before the Astros won the final three games to win the series.Jeremy Peña won theWorld Series Most Valuable Player Award, the first position player to win the award as a rookie.[2]
The series was notable for having the first World Seriesno-hitter sinceDon Larsen'sperfect game in the1956 World Series, when Astros pitchersCristian Javier,Bryan Abreu,Rafael Montero, andRyan Pressly combined to leave the Phillies hitless in Game 4. It was also the third postseason no-hitter in MLB history, afterRoy Halladay's no-hitter (also at Citizens Bank Park) in Game 1 of the2010 National League Division Series.
MLB has sold sponsorships to various postseason series since 2017, withYouTube TV serving as the official presenting sponsor of the World Series from 2017 through 2019.[3] The World Series did not have a presenting sponsor in 2020 or 2021, but resumed sponsorship in 2022.[4] As a result of a new multi-year agreement withCapital One, this World Series was officially known as the2022 World Series presented by Capital One.[5]
This was the second postseason meeting between theHouston Astros and thePhiladelphia Phillies following their1980 National League Championship Series[a] encounter, which was won by Philadelphia, 3–2, en route to winning the1980 World Series.[6]
Houston and Philadelphia met in the last series of the2022 MLB season in Houston. Houston won two of the three games, although Philadelphia clinched their postseason berth in the first game with a win.[7] The 19-game gap between the Astros and Phillies is the second largest in World Series history, trailing only the 23-game gap in1906 between the 93-win Chicago White Sox and the 116-win Chicago Cubs.[8][9][10]
This was the eighth World Series appearance for the Phillies and the first since2009.[11] The Phillies struggled at the start of the 2022 season. On June 3, with a record of 22–29 (.431), managerJoe Girardi was fired, andRob Thomson, theirbench coach, was named their interim manager.[12] From there, the Phillies went 65–46 (.586).[13] They clinched a postseason berth on the third to last day of the season; they were the last postseason team of the 12 to clinch a berth. They qualified for the postseason as the sixth seedwild card entrant with an 87–75 (.537) record.[7][14]
In theNational League Wild Card Series, they swept theNational League Central division winnerSt. Louis Cardinals, who were ranked third in the National League. In theNational League Division Series, they defeated the defending World Series champion and National League East division winnerAtlanta Braves in four games, the NL's second seed. In theNational League Championship Series (NLCS), they defeated the fifth-seededSan Diego Padres in five games to clinch a World Series berth for the first time since 2009, which the Phillies lost in six games to theNew York Yankees.[15]Bryce Harper won the most valuable player award for the NLCS after batting 8-for-20 (.400) with two home runs and three doubles.[16] The Phillies were the first team to finish third in their division and advance to a World Series since the1981 New York Yankees.[17]
Dave Dombrowski, the Phillies' president of baseball operations, made his fifth World Series appearance. Dombrowski is the first lead executive to make World Series appearances with four different teams, having done so with theFlorida Marlins in1997,Detroit Tigers in2006 and2012, and theBoston Red Sox in2018.[18]
This is the fifth World Series appearance for the Astros, and the fourth[a] as the American League team.[19] The Astros qualified for the 2022 postseason as theAmerican League (AL)West division winner.[20] It was their fifth AL West championship in six years and their second straight championship. The Astros entered the postseason as the top seed in the American League. In theDivision Series, they swept the fifth-seededSeattle Mariners. In theAmerican League Championship Series, they swept the second-seededNew York Yankees to make it to the World Series for the fourth time in the previous six seasons (2017,2019,2021) and the second consecutive season.[21] They were the first team to return to the World Series in back-to-back years since theKansas City Royals did in2014 and2015.
Houston's pitching staff led the American League in 2022 with the fewest runs allowed, lowest opponent's batting average andwalks plus hits per inning pitched, the most strikeouts, and posted an MLB-best 2.78 bullpenearned run average (ERA).[22]Justin Verlander, who had missed Houston's postseason runs in2020 and2021, made his return fromTommy John surgery and led the AL inwins, ERA, and walks plus hits per inning pitched ratio.[23]RookieshortstopJeremy Peña won theLeague Championship Series Most Valuable Player Award after batting 6-for-18 (.333) with two home runs and two doubles in the ALCS.[24]
Dusty Baker, in his 25th season as a major league manager, was seeking his first World Series win as a manager (he won the1981 World Series as a player with the Dodgers). At 73 years of age, Baker was the oldest manager in World Series history.[25]
Houston won the series, 4–2.
| Game | Date | Score | Location | Time | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 28 | Philadelphia Phillies – 6, Houston Astros – 5(10) | Minute Maid Park | 4:34 | 42,903[26] |
| 2 | October 29 | Philadelphia Phillies – 2,Houston Astros – 5 | Minute Maid Park | 3:18 | 42,926[27] |
| 3 | November 1† | Houston Astros – 0,Philadelphia Phillies – 7 | Citizens Bank Park | 3:08 | 45,712[28] |
| 4 | November 2 | Houston Astros – 5, Philadelphia Phillies – 0 | Citizens Bank Park | 3:25 | 45,693[29] |
| 5 | November 3 | Houston Astros – 3, Philadelphia Phillies – 2 | Citizens Bank Park | 3:57 | 45,693[30] |
| 6 | November 5 | Philadelphia Phillies – 1,Houston Astros – 4 | Minute Maid Park | 3:13 | 42,958[31] |
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| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | R | H | E | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Houston | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Seranthony Domínguez (1–0) LP:Luis García (0–1) Sv:David Robertson (1) Home runs: PHI:J. T. Realmuto (1) HOU:Kyle Tucker 2 (2) Attendance: 42,903 Boxscore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This was the first World Series since1915 to start on a Friday,[32][33] a change made in part to avoid playing on Sunday and going head-to-head withNBC Sunday Night Football.[34] Prior to Game 1, Eric Burton of the bandBlack Pumas sang "The Star-Spangled Banner".[35]Terry Puhl threw theceremonial first pitch andSimone Biles called "play ball!".[36]Justin Verlander started for the Astros whileAaron Nola started for the Phillies.[37]
Kyle Tucker hit a solo home run off of Nola in the bottom of the second inning. Nola then gave up two singles toYuli Gurriel andChas McCormick.[38] With runners at the corners,Martín Maldonado hit arun batted insingle scoring Gurriel.Jose Altuve grounded into a double play to end the inning.Jeremy Peña doubled to start the third for Houston andAlex Bregman drew awalk. Tucker hit a three-run home run into the Astros' bullpen to give Houston a 5–0 lead. Verlander took a no-hit bid into the top of the fourth inning when he gave up a single toRhys Hoskins.Bryce Harper singled, moving Hoskins to third.Nick Castellanos drove in Hoskins with a single, andAlec Bohm drove in Harper and Castellanos with a double down the left-field line to trim the lead to two.[38] In the top of the fifth inning, Verlander gave up a leadoff double toBrandon Marsh, and walkedKyle Schwarber.J. T. Realmuto hit a double off the base of the wall to score both runners and tie the game at five. Realmuto advanced to third on a Harper groundout, but Verlander struck out Castellanos, ending the inning.[38] At the top of the sixth, Nola was replaced byJosé Alvarado, who retired the side.[38]
The game remained tied through nine innings, and enteredextra innings, becoming the first World Series game to be decided in extra innings since Game 3 of2018.[39] In the top of the tenth inning, Realmuto hit a solo home run offLuis García to give the Phillies a one-run lead. After a Harper single and aBryson Stott walk, García was taken out of the game and replaced withRyne Stanek, who was able to get out of the inning. In the bottom of the tenth inning,David Robertson struck outYordan Alvarez before giving up a double to Bregman.[40] Tucker tipped off a fair ball that bounced in front of home plate and was thrown out at first. Robertson walked Gurriel, bringing pinch hitterAledmys Díaz to the plate. Robertson threw a wild pitch to advance the runners to second and third. After working the count to 2–1, Díaz was hit on the elbow by Robertson and started toward first base. However, the home plate umpire ruled that Díaz had leaned into the pitch, resulting in ball three. On the next pitch, Díaz grounded out, ending the game.[40] It was the first time since 2002 that a team had overcome a five-run deficit to win a World Series game, when theSan Francisco Giants – also managed byDusty Baker – blew such a lead in Game 6.[41]
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| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Houston | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 5 | 7 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Framber Valdez (1–0) LP:Zack Wheeler (0–1) Home runs: PHI: None HOU:Alex Bregman (1) Attendance: 42,926 Boxscore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Little Big Town performed the national anthem before Game 2.Craig Biggio threw the ceremonial first pitch toJeff Bagwell, andBun B called "play ball!".[36]Framber Valdez started for Houston andZack Wheeler started for Philadelphia.[42]
In the first inning,Jeremy Peña hit an RBI double to score Jose Altuve for the first run.Yordan Alvarez followed with the third straight double to bring in the second run for the Astros. With that hit, Houston became the first World Series team to start a game with three straight extra-base hits. Alvarez scored the third run on an error. In the bottom of the fifth inning,Alex Bregman hit a two-run home run to left field to make the score 5–0.Nick Castellanos scored the first run for the Phillies on asacrifice fly byJean Segura in the seventh inning to make it 5–1. In the top of the eighth inning,Kyle Schwarber hit a foul ball that was initially ruled a two-runhome run, which would have made the score 5–3. Schwarber ended up flying out deep to right on the next pitch, again just missing a home run.[43] In the top of the ninth inning,Alec Bohm scored on an error by first basemanYuli Gurriel to make it 5–2, which proved to be the final score.[44]
Game 2 was also notable for umpirePat Hoberg calling a "perfect game" with 129 of 129 pitches called correctly. Hoberg received widespread praise from both fans and the press for this accomplishment.[45][46]
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| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Philadelphia | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 7 | 7 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Ranger Suárez (1–0) LP:Lance McCullers Jr. (0–1) Home runs: HOU: None PHI:Bryce Harper (1),Alec Bohm (1),Brandon Marsh (1),Kyle Schwarber (1),Rhys Hoskins (1) Attendance: 45,712 Boxscore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Originally scheduled for October 31, Game 3 was postponed to November 1 due to rain. Every following game was pushed back one day.[47]Bernie Parent,Mike Schmidt,Julius Erving, andBrandon Graham threw ceremonial first pitches,[48] andChloe Bailey sang the national anthem.[49]Ranger Suárez started for Philadelphia, taking the place ofNoah Syndergaard, who would have started if it had not been postponed.[50]Lance McCullers Jr. started for Houston.[51]
In the bottom of the first,Kyle Schwarber drew a walk, andBryce Harper hit a two-run home run to right field.Alec Bohm andBrandon Marsh hit solo home runs for the Phillies in the second.[52] Bohm's solo home run to left field in the second inning marked the 1,000th home run in World Series history.[53] When Marsh also homered in that inning, the Phillies became the first team to hit three home runs in the first two innings of a World Series game. In the bottom of the fifth, Schwarber hit a two-run home run to dead center, andRhys Hoskins hit a solo home run to left, making the Phillies the fourth team to hit a record five home runs in a single World Series game, joining the1928 Yankees (Game 4 of the1928 World Series),1989 Athletics (Game 3 of the1989 World Series), and2017 Astros (Game 5 of the2017 World Series); they are also the only team of these four to go on to lose the World Series. Furthermore, McCullers became the first pitcher in history to surrender five home runs in a postseason game.[54][55]Ryne Stanek relieved McCullers after Hoskins' home run. Suárez came out of the game after throwing five scoreless innings.Connor Brogdon,Kyle Gibson,Nick Nelson, andAndrew Bellatti each pitched a scoreless inning to complete theshutout as the Phillies won 7–0. All seven runs were scored via a home run.[56]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Philadelphia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Cristian Javier (1–0) LP:Aaron Nola (0–1) Attendance: 45,693 Boxscore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jimmy Rollins andChase Utley threw the ceremonial first pitch before Game 4 andAmerican Idol contestant Madison Watkins sang the national anthem; Utley's pitch was caught byRob McElhenney and Rollins' byMiles Teller.[57] An additional first pitch was thrown out by a 19-year-old cancer survivor;Jill Biden was on hand to supportStand Up to Cancer in the middle of the fifth inning.[58]Aaron Nola made his second start of the series for the Phillies, whileCristian Javier started for the Astros.[59] The Astros and Phillies remained scoreless through four innings. The Astros loaded the bases in the top of the fifth inning against Nola.José Alvarado relieved Nola and hitYordan Alvarez with a pitch, scoring the game's first run and breaking a 16-innings scoreless streak for Houston. The next batter,Alex Bregman hit a two-run double,Kyle Tucker followed with asacrifice fly, and thenYuli Gurriel singled to score Bregman.[60]
Javier pitched six innings on 97 pitches without allowing a hit, striking out nine batters, and walking two. He was relieved byBryan Abreu, who struck out the side in the seventh inning.Rafael Montero pitched a hitless eighth inning for the Astros.Ryan Pressly, the Astroscloser, pitched in the ninth inning for the Astros, only allowing a one-out walk toKyle Schwarber, to complete theno-hitter. It was the first combined no-hitter in postseason history and the second no-hitter in World Series history afterDon Larsen's perfect game in1956.[61] It was also the third no-hitter in postseason history, afterRoy Halladay threw a no-hitter for the Phillies in the2010 National League Division Series against theCincinnati Reds. Coincidentally, both no-hitters took place atCitizens Bank Park, andDusty Baker was involved as a manager in both as he had managed the Reds in 2010.[62]
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| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Philadelphia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Justin Verlander (1–0) LP:Noah Syndergaard (0–1) Sv:Ryan Pressly (1) Home runs: HOU:Jeremy Peña (1) PHI:Kyle Schwarber (2) Attendance: 45,693 Boxscore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Before Game 5,Meek Mill performed his song"Dreams and Nightmares" and rode with thePhillie Phanatic on an ATV.[63] Philadelphia nativeJazmine Sullivan performed the national anthem[64] andBrad Lidge threw the ceremonial first pitch toCarlos Ruiz.[65]Noah Syndergaard started for the Phillies[66] andJustin Verlander started for the Astros.[67] The Phillies donned powder bluethrowback uniforms from the 1970s and 1980s while the Astros wore their orange jerseys.[68]
Jose Altuve led off the game with a double, advanced to third base on an error, and scored on a single byJeremy Peña.Kyle Schwarber led off the bottom of the first inning with a home run to tie it. Schwarber's home run was the tenth given up by Verlander in the World Series, passingCatfish Hunter for the most allowed in World Series history.[69] In the bottom of the second inning, Verlander struck outRhys Hoskins to escape the bases-loaded jam to keep the game tied 1–1 after giving up a single toJean Segura and walking bothBrandon Marsh andKyle Schwarber with two outs. Peña hit a home run to put the Astros ahead at 2–1 in the fourth inning, becoming the first rookie shortstop to hit a home run in the World Series. The Phillies, who had put runners in scoring position throughout the next four innings, did not score another run off of Verlander, who finished his appearance with six strikeouts and four walks allowed in five innings. In the top of the eighth inning, Altuve scored from third base on aground out byYordan Alvarez, widening the Astros' lead to 3–1. In the bottom of the eighth inning,Nick Castellanos scored on an RBI single byJean Segura, narrowing the Phillies' deficit and putting runners on the corners.Ryan Pressly entered to try for a five-out save, his fourth appearance in the series. He recorded a strikeout and a hard-hit groundout toTrey Mancini to end the eighth inning. In the ninth inning,Chas McCormick made a leaping catch at the right-center wall on a flyball hit byJ. T. Realmuto for the second out, preventing a likely extra-base hit. The next batter,Bryce Harper, was hit by a pitch, putting the tying run on first base, but Castellanos hit a groundball to short that led to the game-ending putout from Peña to Mancini to end the game. The victory was the first World Series pitching win of Verlander's career, who had gone 0–6 in his previous eight World Series starts, including Game 1.[70]
The change in the World Series schedule due to rain meant Game 5 went up directly against aThursday Night Football game between the NFL franchises of both World Series cities, in which thePhiladelphia Eagles defeated theHouston Texans, 29–17. Estimates fromNielsen Media Research showed the baseball game drew an average of five million more viewers, with a share of at least 50 percent in both Philadelphia and Houston. Meanwhile, the football game, originally scheduled to air on the Fox affiliates in both markets per NFL rules, moved to theMyNetworkTV affiliates inbothmarkets.[71][72]
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| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Houston | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | X | 4 | 7 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Framber Valdez (2–0) LP:Zack Wheeler (0–2) Sv:Ryan Pressly (2) Home runs: PHI:Kyle Schwarber (3) HOU:Yordan Alvarez (1) Attendance: 42,958 Boxscore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Game 6 set the record for the latest date that a World Series game has been played. The latest World Series game had previously been played was November 4, in both2001 and2009.[73] The Astros replacedYuli Gurriel, who exited Game 5 with a knee injury, on their roster withKorey Lee.[74] Gallery Furniture'sJim McIngvale threw the ceremonial first pitch,Andy Grammer sang the national anthem, andGeorge Strait called "play ball!" In a rematch from Game 2,Framber Valdez started for the Astros, whileZack Wheeler started for the Phillies.[75]
The game was initially apitchers' duel between Valdez and Wheeler, with the game remaining scoreless through five innings. This was eventually broken byKyle Schwarber hitting a solo home run to right field for the Phillies off of Valdez in the top of the sixth inning. In the bottom of the sixth, Wheeler hitMartin Maldonado with a pitch, which he andJ. T. Realmuto argued he leaned into akin toAledmys Diaz's attempt in Game 1, though this time the umpire ruled in favor of the Astros. Maldonado was eventually thrown out on afielder's choice hit byJose Altuve, beforeJeremy Peña hit a single to allow Altuve to reach third. With runners on the corners, Wheeler was relieved byJosé Alvarado in preparation forYordan Alvarez. Alvarado then gave up a three-run go-ahead home run to Alvarez, which flew 450 feet to center field and over thebatter's eye.[76] After walkingAlex Bregman and striking outKyle Tucker, Alvarado was relieved bySeranthony Dominguez. Bregman would advance to second on a wild pitch during Tucker's at-bat and subsequently score on an RBI single byChristian Vázquez, bringing the score to 4–1.
Following the four-spot in the sixth inning, Valdez was relieved byHector Neris andBryan Abreu, who each pitched an inning without allowing a baserunner. In the ninth,Ryan Pressly came in tosave the game. Although Realmuto hit a single off of Pressly,Rhys Hoskins,Bryce Harper, andNick Castellanos each popped out to the outfield, with Castellanos flying out to Tucker in foul territory for the final out and World Series' conclusion, as well as Pressly's sixth save of the postseason.
ManagerDusty Baker won his first career Fall Classic victory as a manager (after 3,884 games managed, a record for a first-time winner) and Houston was the first team since theRed Sox in2013 to officially clinch the championship in their home stadium (the Dodgers won as the home team in 2020, but that wasplayed at a neutral site due to theCOVID-19 pandemic).[77] Peña, who was 2-for-4 in Game 6, won theWorld Series Most Valuable Player Award. He batted 10-for-25 (.400) with one home run in the series. Peña became the first position player (and the third player overall) to win the award in his rookie season.[78] In total for the postseason, the Houston bullpen allowed five total runs over54+1⁄3 innings for an ERA of 0.83, becoming the first team to throw at least 40 postseason innings of the bullpen with an ERA below 1.00 in major league history.[79] The Astros became the sixth team since 1960 to win the World Series after losing the previous year, with the last having been theKansas City Royals in 2015.[80]
With the win, the Astros finished 11–2 in the postseason, the fourth team to win a World Series while losing fewer than three games in the Wild Card era after the1998 New York Yankees (11–2), the1999 New York Yankees (11–1), and the2005 Chicago White Sox (11–1).[81]
2022 World Series (4–2):Houston Astros beatPhiladelphia Phillies.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | R | H | E | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Phillies | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 31 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Houston Astros | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 48 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Home runs: PHI:Kyle Schwarber (3),Alec Bohm (1),Bryce Harper (1),Rhys Hoskins (1),Brandon Marsh (1),J. T. Realmuto (1) HOU:Kyle Tucker (2),Yordan Alvarez (1),Alex Bregman (1),Jeremy Peña (1) Total attendance: 265,885 Average attendance: 44,314 Winning player's share: $516,347[82] Losing player's share: $296,255 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
For the 23rd straight year, the World Series was televised in the United States byFox, including the local affiliatesWTXF-TV in Philadelphia andKRIV in Houston.Play-by-play announcerJoe Davis called the event for the first time, succeedingJoe Buck following the latter's departure from the network after 25 years as its lead World Series voice.[83] Davis was joined by Baseball Hall of FamerJohn Smoltz ascolor analyst, andKen Rosenthal andTom Verducci asfield reporters.Kevin Burkhardt hosted the pregame and postgame shows, joined by analystsFrank Thomas,Alex Rodriguez, andDavid Ortiz.[84]
Outside of the United States,MLB Network produced an international feed throughMLB International,[85] which aired onSportsnet inCanada,[86]BT Sport in theUnited Kingdom,[87] andESPN inAustralia.[88]Dave Flemming called the play-by-play of the games for Anglophone viewers, withDan Plesac as color analyst.[85]
Audience includesFox andFox Deportes
| Game | Ratings (households) | U.S. audience (in millions) | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5.69 | 11.68 | [89][90] |
| 2 | 5.34 | 10.99 | [91][90] |
| 3 | 6.11 | 11.37 | [92][93] |
| 4 | 6.48 | 12.06 | [94][93] |
| 5 | 6.92 | 13.01 | [95][93] |
| 6 | 6.11 | 12.87 | [96][93] |
Figures are per cited sourcing and subject to revision.
For the 25th consecutive year,ESPN Radio aired the series in the United States.Dan Shulman called the play-by-play, withJessica Mendoza andEduardo Pérez as color analysts andBuster Olney as field reporter. Kevin Winter andDoug Glanville hosted the pregame coverage.[97] This was Shulman's 12th and final World Series broadcast for ESPN Radio, withJon Sciambi succeeding him in 2023.[98][99]
TUDN Radio broadcast the series inSpanish, with an announcing crew including Jesús Acosta, Enrique Burak, Alberto Ferreiro, José Luis Nápoles, Luis Eduardo Quiñones and Antonio de Valdes.[100] Theflagship radio stations for both teams broadcast the series locally. In Philadelphia,WIP-FM andWTTM aired the games in English and Spanish respectively, whileKBME andKLAT did so in Houston.[100] During the Phillies-Eagles conflict for Game 5, WIP-FM aired the Eagles game while the Phillies aired onKYW andWPHT.[101]
The 2022 World Series was sponsored byCapital One, the credit card provider, as part of a new multi-year agreement. This sponsorship included logo branding in-stadium and on official digital properties on the field, as well as commercial inventory during Fox's telecasts of the games.[4]
This was the last World Series before expandedinterleague play. Starting in2023, MLB began scheduling all 30 teams to play each other throughout the season.[102] As such, the Phillies defeated the Astros in two of three games in Houston from April 28–30, 2023 in a rematch of the World Series.[103][104][105] Going forward, every World Series would be a rematch of a regular season series from earlier in the season. This was in opposite of World Series pre-1997 (the first year of Interleague play), which was the first time anAmerican League team played aNational League team in a season.
Houston businessman and Astros’ superfanJim 'Mattress Mack' McIngvale won a record $75 million betting payout for his $10 million bet for Houston to win the World Series. This win was part of a strategy to hedge against a promotion for his furniture store,Gallery Furniture, where customers who spent a certain amount would get a refund if the Astros won.[106] During the 2022 World Series, McIngvale attended Game 3 atCitizens Bank Park inPhiladelphia. Phillies fans brought up theAstros sign stealing scandal and accusations of their second basemanJose Altuve cheating. McIngvale responded by repeatedly yelling "fuck you" at the fans. After the incident, McIngvale referred to Philadelphia sports fans as the "worst fans ever."[107]
Shortly after his contract expired after the 2022 World Series,James Click rejected a one-year contract offer from the Astros, and the team announced that they would move on without Click.[108] Click became the first GM since 1947 to leave an MLB franchise this quickly after winning the World Series. ESPN'sJeff Passan covered the shocking departure, characterizing ownerJim Crane as extremely hands-on and at odds with Click's management style.[108] “Sometimes I wonder if [Crane] thinks he’sJerry Jones,” one Astros employee told Passan. The Astros hired Atlanta Braves scoutDana Brown as their general manager on January 26, 2023.[109] A few weeks later, theToronto Blue Jays hired James Click to be the vice president of baseball strategy. Additionally, with Click's departure, former Astros starJeff Bagwell gained more power within the organization.[110][111]
The Astros won theAL West in 2023, but they did not do so in dominant fashion like their teams from 2017 to 2019 and 2021 to 2022. Injuries and poor performance in their rotation saw the team trade young prospects forJustin Verlander at the trade deadline, who had signed a two-year deal with theNew York Mets in the off-season.[112] Overall, they finished tied with theTexas Rangers in first place in the AL West, but won the tie-breaker thus giving them the division. However, in the postseason, the Astros were beaten by the Rangers in the2023 ALCS, with the visitor winning all seven games, similar to the2019 World Series. After the season,Dusty Baker retired as manager, and the team promoted long-time benchJoe Espada to manager.[113][114]
Although he was not on the Astros' World Series roster, closer Will Smith continued his unlikely streak of winning consecutive World Series with separate teams (he won with the Atlanta Braves in 2021, and would win his third consecutive title with the Rangers the following year).
TheUnion lost theMLS Cup to theLos Angeles FC on the same day the Phillies lost Game 6, making Philadelphia the first city to ever lose two championship games on the same day.[115] Three months later, thePhiladelphia Eagles lost inSuper Bowl LVII to theKansas City Chiefs, suffering the third championship defeat of a Philadelphia sports team in as many months following the Union and the Phillies' losses. Coincidentally, Philadelphia achieved this dubious feat in 1980 when the76ers,Flyers, andEagles all lost in their respective championship games; however, thePhillies won theWorld Series that year.[116][117]
After the season,Bryce Harper underwent Tommy John surgery for his ligament tear. Despite big free agent signings such asTrea Turner andTaijuan Walker, the Phillies started off similarly in 2023 as they did in 2022, particularly without Harper until May, sitting at a sub .500 record at the start of June. They would then get hot and go 65–42 from June until the rest of the season and finish as the first wildcard. They would again defeat theNL East-winningAtlanta Braves in theNLDS before being upset by theArizona Diamondbacks in theNLCS by losing the team's first-ever game seven at home.[118][119] With the Diamondbacks win, it was the second year in a row the sixth seed in the NL made the World Series, following the2022 Phillies, and the third straight season a sub 90-win team made the World Series in the NL, following the 2022 Phillies and2021 Braves.
Ranger Suárez, who threw in relief in Game 1, is now set to start Tuesday's Game 3.
