After dropping Game 5 in heartbreaking fashion, the Los Angeles Dodgers returned to Dodger Stadium needing a win to extend the World Series to a winner-take-all Game 7. Standing in their way was grizzled veteran Justin Verlander.
Including the regular season, he’d yet to lose a game in 10 starts for the Houston Astros. Verlander allowed three runs on two hits, both of which were home runs, in Game 2. George Springer’s home run off Rich Hill in the third inning provided Verlander with a 1-0 lead.
He retired 15 of 16 batters, including 11 in a row, to get through five scoreless innings. The string was snapped on an Austin Barnes leadoff single in the sixth, which was followed by Verlander hitting Chase Utley with a pitch.
Chris Taylor’s RBI double into shallow right field tied the game, and Corey Seager’s sacrifice fly gave the Dodgers a 2-1 lead. Verlander retired Justin Turner and Cody Bellinger to strand Taylor at third base.
Joe Musgrove took over in the bottom of the seventh and surrendered a home run to Joc Pederson that provided the Dodgers bullpen with an insurance run.
Pederson became the first Dodgers player to hit three home runs in the World Series since Davey Lopes in 1978. Pederson also extended his streak to five games with an extra-base hit.
Kenley Jansen entered in the eighth inning and converted a six-out save to lock in the first Game 7 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium.
