After taking Game 1 of the World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers were six outs from protecting home-field advantage and taking a 2-0 series lead. The bullpen had thrown 28 consecutive scoreless innings in the postseason, an MLB record.
But the Houston Astros got to Kenley Jansen, and continued to chip away at the Dodgers’ once-vaunted bullpen in the games since. The latest instance came Sunday night in Game 5, which starters Dallas Keuchel and Clayton Kershaw both failed to pitch deep into the contest.
The Dodgers and Astros traded hits that resembled punches prized heavyweight fighters would throw, until Houston landed a knockout blow against Jansen in the 10th inning.
After the loss, Jansen said during a postgame interview that aired on SportsNet LA that he’d already shifted his focus to Game 6. Jansen expressed confidence the Dodgers would also shake off the heartbreaking defeat to extend the series.
It was a sentiment shared by Yasiel Puig, who more boldly predicted the Dodgers would force the Astros to a winner-take-all Game 7 of the World Series, per Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times:
Yasiel Puig: “This is not going to be finished Tuesday. There is going to be a Game 7.”
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughTimes) October 30, 2017
Puig did his part to pick the Dodgers up off the mat, with his two-run home run in the ninth inning cutting their deficit to a run. Austin Barnes followed with a double and he later scored on Chris Taylor’s two-out base hit.
Puig’s home run was the 22nd of the series, which broke the MLB record previously set by the Anaheim Angels and San Francisco Giants in the 2002 World Series.
While the Dodgers are facing elimination for the first time this October, they trailed the Washington Nationals in last year’s National League Division Series. Including that postseason, this is their first time with the benefit of homefield.
“I think this whole series has been an emotional roller coaster,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “It’s the two best teams playing for a championship. And these are two teams that play 27 outs. So you’re not going to expect those guys to lay down. And obviously you saw what our guys did, and competed until the last out.
“Taking the day [Monday], getting home, and it’s going to be boisterous and energetic at Dodger Stadium, and I think our focus is just going to be to win one game. And to get ourselves to think about two in a row, I think we’d be getting ahead of ourselves. We’re at an elimination stage right now, and we’ll do everything we can to win one game.”
