The Houston Astros entered the 2022 MLB postseason as the AL West champions and the top-seeded AL team, while the Phillies won a wild 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 the World Series Most Valuable Player Award, the first position player to win the award as a rookie.[2]
MLB has sold sponsorships to various postseason series since 2017, with YouTube 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 with Capital One, this World Series was officially known as the 2022 World Series presented by Capital One.[5]
Houston and Philadelphia met in the last series of the 2022 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 in 1906 between the 93-win Chicago White Sox and the 116-win Chicago Cubs.[8][9][10]
This is the fifth World Series appearance for the Astros, and the fourth[a] as the American League team.[11] The Astros qualified for the 2022 postseason as the American League (AL) West division winner.[12] It was their fifth AL West championship in six years and their second straight divisional championship. The Astros entered the postseason as the top seed in the American League. In the Division Series, they swept the fifth-seeded Seattle Mariners. In the American League Championship Series, they swept the second-seeded New 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.[13]
Dusty Baker, in his 25th season as a major league manager, was seeking his first World Series win as a manager (he won the 1981 World Series as a player with the Dodgers). At 73 years of age, Baker was the oldest manager in World Series history.[17]
This was the eighth World Series appearance for the Phillies and the first since 2009.[18] The Phillies struggled at the start of the 2022 season. On June 3, and at a record of 22–29 (.431), manager Joe Girardi was fired, and Rob Thomson, their bench coach, was named their interim manager.[19] From there, the Phillies went 65–46 (.586).[20] 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 seed wild card entrant with an 87–75 (.537) record.[7][21]
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 the Florida Marlins in 1997, Detroit Tigers in 2006 and 2012, and the Boston Red Sox in 2018.[25]
Summary
Houston won the series, 4–2.
Game
Date
Score
Location
Time
Attendance
1
October 28
Philadelphia Phillies – 6, Houston Astros – 5 (10)
Kyle Tucker hit a solo home run off of Nola in the bottom of the second inning. Nola then gave up two singles to Yuli Gurriel and Chas McCormick.[38] With runners at the corners, Martín Maldonado hit a run batted insingle scoring Gurriel. Jose Altuve grounded into a double play to end the inning. Jeremy Peña doubled to start the third for Houston and Alex Bregman drew a walk. 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 to Rhys Hoskins. Bryce Harper singled, moving Hoskins to third. Nick Castellanos drove in Hoskins with a single, and Alec 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 to Brandon Marsh, and walked Kyle 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 by José Alvarado, who retired the side.[38]
The game remained tied through nine innings, and entered extra innings, becoming the first World Series game to be decided in extra innings since Game 3 of 2018.[39] In the top of the tenth inning, Realmuto hit a solo home run off Luis García to give the Phillies a one-run lead. After a Harper single and a Bryson Stott walk, García was taken out of the game and replaced with Ryne Stanek, who was able to get out of the inning. In the bottom of the tenth inning, David Robertson struck out Yordan 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 hitter Aledmys 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 the San Francisco Giants – also managed by Dusty Baker – blew such a lead in Game 6.[41]
Game 2
Alex Bregman hit a home run in the fifth inning of Game 2.
October 29, 2022 7:03pm (CDT) at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas 73 °F (23 °C), roof closed
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 to left field to make the score 5–0. Nick Castellanos scored the first run for the Phillies on a sacrifice fly by Jean 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-run home 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 baseman Yuli Gurriel to make it 5–2, which proved to be the final score.[44]
Game 2 was also notable for umpire Pat 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]
Game 3
Bryce Harper hit the first of five home runs for the Phillies in Game 3.
In the bottom of the first, Kyle Schwarber drew a walk, and Bryce Harper hit a two-run home run to right field. Alec Bohm and Brandon 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, and Rhys 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 the 1928 Yankees (Game 4 of the 1928 World Series), 1989 Athletics (Game 3 of the 1989 World Series), and 2017 Astros (Game 5 of the 2017 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, and Andrew Bellatti each pitched a scoreless inning to complete the shutout as the Phillies won 7–0. All seven runs were scored via a home run.[56]
Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley threw the ceremonial first pitch before Game 4 and American Idol contestant Madison Watkins sang the national anthem; Utley's pitch was caught by Rob McElhenney and Rollins' by Miles Teller.[57] An additional first pitch was thrown out by a 19-year-old cancer survivor; Jill Biden was on hand to support Stand Up to Cancer in the middle of the fifth inning.[58]Aaron Nola made his second start of the series for the Phillies, while Cristian 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 hit Yordan 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 a sacrifice fly, and then Yuli 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 by Bryan Abreu, who struck out the side in the seventh inning. Rafael Montero pitched a hitless eighth inning for the Astros. Ryan Pressly, the Astros closer, pitched in the ninth inning for the Astros, only allowing a one-out walk to Kyle Schwarber, to complete the no-hitter. It was the first combined no-hitter in postseason history, and the second no-hitter in World Series history after Don Larsen's perfect game in 1956.[61] It was also the third no-hitter in postseason history, after Roy Halladay threw a no-hitter for the Phillies in the 2010 National League Division Series against the Cincinnati Reds. Coincidentally, both no-hitters took place at Citizens Bank Park, and Dusty Baker was involved as a manager in both as he had managed the Reds in 2010.[62]
Game 5
Justin Verlander earned his first career World Series win in Game 5.
November 3, 2022 8:03pm (EDT) at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 59 °F (15 °C), clear
Jose Altuve led off the game with a double, advanced to third base on an error, and scored on a single by Jeremy 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, passing Catfish Hunter for the most allowed in World Series history.[69] In the bottom of the second inning, Verlander struck out Rhys Hoskins to escape the bases-loaded jam to keep the game tied 1–1 after giving up a single to Jean Segura and walking both Brandon Marsh and Kyle 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 a ground out by Yordan Alvarez, widening the Astros' lead to 3–1. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Nick Castellanos scored on an RBI single by Jean 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 to Trey 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 by J. 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 a Thursday Night Football game between the NFL franchises of both World Series cities, in which the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Houston Texans, 29–17. Estimates from Nielsen Media Research showed the baseball game drew an average of five million more viewers, with a share of at least 50 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 the MyNetworkTV affiliates in bothmarkets.[71][72]
Game 6
Yordan Alvarez hit a home run to center field, to a distance estimated at 450 feet, to give the Astros the lead in Game 6.
November 5, 2022 7:03pm (CDT) at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas 73 °F (23 °C), roof closed
Game 6 set the record for the latest date that a World Series game has been played. The latest a World Series game had previously been played was November 4, in both 2001 and 2009.[73] The Astros replaced Yuli Gurriel, who exited Game 5 with a knee injury, on their roster with Korey Lee.[74] Gallery Furniture's Jim McIngvale threw the ceremonial first pitch, Andy Grammer sang the national anthem, and George Strait called "play ball!" In a rematch from Game 2, Framber Valdez started for the Astros, while Zack Wheeler started for the Phillies.[75]
The game was initially a pitchers' duel between Valdez and Wheeler, with the game remaining scoreless through five innings. This was eventually broken by Kyle 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 hit Martin Maldonado with a pitch, which he and J. T. Realmuto argued he leaned into akin to Aledmys Diaz's attempt in Game 1, though this time the umpire ruled in favor of the Astros. Maldonado was eventually thrown out on a fielder's choice hit by Jose Altuve, before Jeremy Peña hit a single to allow Altuve to reach third. With runners on the corners, Wheeler was relieved by José Alvarado in preparation for Yordan Alvarez. Alvarado then gave up a three-run go-ahead home run to Alvarez, which flew 450 feet to center field and over the batter's eye.[76] After walking Alex Bregman and striking out Kyle Tucker, Alvarado was relieved by Seranthony Dominguez. Bregman would steal second during Tucker's at-bat; he broke his finger after clipping it on second base in the steal, but remained in the game. Christian Vázquez would then hit an RBI single off of Dominguez, allowing Bregman to score.
Following the four-spot in the sixth inning, Valdez was relieved by Hector Neris and Bryan Abreu, who each pitched an inning without allowing a baserunner. In the ninth, Ryan Pressly came in to save the game. Although Realmuto hit a single off of Pressly, Rhys Hoskins, Bryce Harper, and Nick 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.
Manager Dusty 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 the Red Sox in 2013 to officially clinch the championship in their home stadium (the Dodgers won as the home team in 2020, but that was played at a neutral site due to the COVID-19 pandemic).[77] Peña, who was 2-for-4 in Game 6, won the World 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 over 54+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 the Kansas City Royals in 2015.[80]
Figures are per cited sourcing and subject to revision.
Radio
For the 25th consecutive year, ESPN Radio aired the series in the United States. Dan Shulman called the play-by-play, with Jessica Mendoza and Eduardo Pérez as color analysts and Buster Olney as field reporter. Kevin Winter and Doug Glanville hosted the pregame coverage.[97] This was Shulman's 12th and final World Series broadcast for ESPN Radio, with Jon Sciambi succeeding him in 2023.[98][99]
TUDN Radio broadcast the series in Spanish, with an announcing crew including Jesús Acostas, Enrique Burak, Alberto Ferreiro, José Luis Nápoles, Luis Eduardo Quiñones and Antonio de Valdes.[100] The flagship radio stations for both teams broadcast the series locally. In Philadelphia, WIP-FM and WTTM aired the games in English and in Spanish respectively, while KBME and KLAT did so in Houston.[100] During the Phillies-Eagles conflict for Game 5, WIP-FM aired the Eagles game while the Phillies aired on KYW and WPHT.[101]
Sponsorship
The 2022 World Series was sponsored by Capital 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]
Aftermath
This was the last World Series before expanded interleague play. Starting in 2023, MLB began scheduling all 30 teams to play each other every year.[102] As such, the Phillies defeated the Astros in two of three games in Houston from April 28-30, 2023 in a re-match of the World Series.[103][104][105] Going forward, every World Series would be a re-match of a regular season series from earlier in the year.
Houston
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.[106] Click became the first GM since 1947 to leave an MLB franchise this quickly after winning the World Series. ESPN's Jeff Passan covered the shocking departure, characterizing owner Jim Crane as extremely hands-on and at odds with Click's management style.[106] “Sometimes I wonder if [Crane] thinks he’s Jerry Jones,” one Astros employee told Passan. The Astros hired Atlanta Braves scout Dana Brown as their general manager on January 26, 2023.[107] A few week later, the Toronto Blue Jays hired James Click to be the vice president of baseball strategy. Additionally, with Click's departure, former Astros star Jeff Bagwell gained more power within the organization.[108][109]
The Astros won the AL 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 to their rotation saw the team trade young prospects for Justin Verlander at the trade deadline, who had signed a two-year deal with the New York Mets in the off-season.[110] Overall, they finished tied with the Texas 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 the 2023 ALCS, with the visitor winning all seven games, similar to the 2019 World Series. After the season, Dusty Baker retired as manager and the team promoted long-time bench Joe Espada to manager.[111][112]
Philadelphia
Three months later, the Philadelphia Eagles lost in Super Bowl LVII to the Kansas City Chiefs, suffering the third championship defeat of a Philadelphia sports team in as many months following the Union and the Phillies' losses. Philadelphia was the first sports city in history to lose three straight professional sports championship games in one season.[113][114] The Union lost the MLS Cup to the Los 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]
After the season, Bryce Harper underwent Tommy John surgery for his ligament tear. Despite big free agent signings such as Trea Turner and Taijuan 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 the NL East-winning Atlanta Braves in the NLDS before being upset by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLCS by losing the team's first ever game seven at home.[116][117] With the Diamondbacks win, it was the second year in a row the sixth seed in the NL made the World Series, following the 2022 Phillies, and the third straight season a sub 90-win team made the World Series in the NL, following the 2022 Phillies and 2021 Braves.
^No Black players born in the United States were included on either team's World Series roster, the first such occurrence since 1950, shortly after the breaking of the baseball color line in 1947.
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