Well that was less than ideal, though it never felt like the Astros were completely out of it. Dallas Keuchel threw two bad pitches...Clayton Kershaw only threw one, and that's that. Astros are down 1-0 in the World Series.
*The Astros are now 1-5 on the road this postseason, the lone away win coming in Game 4 of the ALDS. They did not have an AB with a runner in scoring position. Houston has scored 14 runs in six postseason road games, six total in their last four.
*Game 1 was the shortest World Series game (2 hours 28 minutes) since 1992.
*FanGraphs, who had the Astros as their simulation favorites (by a slight edge), dropped them to what is now a 37.5% chance of winning the World Series. Who knew that losing to Clayton Kershaw on the road in Game 1 could drop your chances so dramatically?
*FiveThirtyEight gives the Dodgers a 52-48 edge tonight, and a 62% chance of winning the World Series.
*Dallas Keuchel, on Game 1:
It was a good atmosphere, it was as fun as I had imagined. Taylor hit a first-pitch four-seamer out of the yard, kind of hit us in the jaw. We recovered nicely. I knew we would scratch a run, maybe two, off of Kershaw. But he was as good as advertised. It was one pitch away from being 1-1 going into the seventh. We're trying to win one of two here, so hopefully we'll come out tomorrow and get a win.
*Kershaw's 78 Game Score was the 12th-highest in Dodgers' World Series franchise history.
*Altuve:
We just have to try to put some good at-bats together. We couldn't do it today because Kershaw was pitching extremely well.
StatCast noted that the Astros chased 20 pitches outside the strike zone last night, which seems low by about half.
*Bregman, whose solo home run tied the game in the 4th inning:
I don't think there is any panic with anyone. Everybody is very confident. It is a long series. They have a good pitcher going [tonight], but we do have the best offense in baseball.
Hinch:
We're heading into Game 2 of the World Series, so there's no more rookies, there's no more youth. It's just competing. And their guy beat us. For us, obviously, we need to stay in the strike zone. It's easier said at the podium or sitting in the dugout than in the batter's box. But hopefully we can get it [tonight].
*George Springer was 0x4 with 4K. Carlos Correa was 0x3 with a strikeout...and still only saw five pitches. Marwin was 0x3 and saw only eight pitches. McCann was 0x3 and saw only nine pitches. I guess that game plan was to try to get to Kershaw early in the count. It, uh, didn't work. Springer:
When he can control his slider like that, and throw to either side of the plate, that's why he is who he is. Video doesn't do it justice.
*Tim Leary broke down what went right for Kershaw, what went wrong for Keuchel and the Astros.
*A.J. Hinch is worried about pitch sequencing.
*Astros hitting coach Dave Hudgens:
What guys start doing is they start trying harder. They try to get aggressive. I always tell guys, the way to get out of a funk is to take some pitches. Not to go out there and swing at the first thing you see. Now you've hit a marginal pitch for a weak grounder to short. Now you're sitting in the dugout.
*Hinch wasn't real thrilled with having to wait until 6:45 to get on the field because the Dodgers took too long during live BP. He promised shenanigans in Houston, which, frankly, I'm excited about.
*Jeff Sullivan: Expect the strike zone to favor the Dodgers.
*Bregman, on Verlander:
We have a lot of confidence in Justin and we're ready to compete. We can't wait to get out there and play. I think everyone got a taste of what it's like today. We'll play Astros baseball tomorrow.
*Verlander spends his offseason doing weight training and interval sprints.
*Game 2 starter Rich Hill said he almost joined the Astros last winter.
*Here's Ted Berg with the story on how the 2014 SI cover came to be.
*Jim Crane sent every full-time Astros employee to Los Angeles.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
