The Houston Astros stunned the Los Angeles Dodgers by twice scoring on Kenley Jansen and later getting to Josh Fields and Brandon McCarthy, to even the World Series as it shifts to Minute Maid Park.
Prior to his club pulling off a thrilling victory in extra innings, Astros manager A.J. Hinch announced Lance McCullers Jr. as his starter for Game 3, and Charlie Morton for Game 4. The Dodgers counter with Yu Darvish in the swing game, and Alex Wood in Game 4.
“Those are two guys that we really believe in,” Hinch said of his starters. “The order is kind of what it is.
It opens up Lance a little more in Game 6 and 7, if we can get that far, and if we don’t clinch before that or if they don’t clinch before that. Both are equipped to pitch and both have been very successful for us, so we just had to pick an order.”
McCullers last pitched in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series, when he allowed just one hit in a four-inning save. He concluded the relief appearance by throwing 24 consecutive curveballs. “It was awesome,” Rich Hill said.
Overall in the postseason, McCullers yields a 2.08 ERA and has held opponents to a .143/.234/.213 batting line in 13 innings pitched across three games (one start). He pitched into the seventh inning and held the Yankees to just one run in the start.
Morton is 1-1 with a 6.23 ERA and 1.54 ERA in three starts this postseason. His inflated ERA is a byproduct of allowing seven runs to the Yankees in just 3.2 innings of work in Game 3 of the ALCS.
Morton otherwise allowed two runs in start during the Division Series, and went five scoreless in Game 7 of the ALCS.
