The China Mail - Realmuto homer lifts Phillies over Astros in World Series Game 1

The Phillies, who were the last National League team to qualify for the playoffs, erased a 5-0 deficit against Houston's two-time Cy Young Award-winning pitcher Justin Verlander to hand the Astros their first defeat of this post-season.

Realmuto, who also unleashed a game-tying two-run double off Verlander in the fifth inning, said the game exemplified Philadelphia's never-say-die spirit.

"It's incredible," the catcher said. "The way we fought back in that game after being down five-nothing, that's a Phillies win right there."

Kyle Tucker homered twice for the Astros, who roared into Major League Baseball's best-of-seven championship series after going 7-0 in the American League playoffs.

He led off the bottom of the second with a solo homer off Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola, smacking a changeup to deep right field. Houston added another run in the inning when Martin Maldonado's ground ball single scored Yuli Gurriel.

Tucker added a three-run blast in the next inning to push the Astros' lead to 5-0, becoming the first Houston player with multiple homers in a World Series game.

Jeremy Pena had doubled to deep right field to lead off the inning and reached third base on Yordan Alvarez's ground out. Alex Bregman walked and Tucker returned to the plate where he smashed a fastball from Nola 395 feet to the right center field seats.

Verlander hadn't allowed a baserunner through three innings when the Phillies finally broke through in the fourth when he gave up a one-out single to Rhys Hoskins. Bryce Harper and Nick Castellanos followed with back-to-back base hits and Hoskins scored.

Alec Bohm's line drive double to left field drove in Harper and Castellanos as Philadelphia cut the deficit to 5-3.

Realmuto pulled them level with two outs in the fifth, pouncing on a hanging breaking ball from Verlander for a double off the left field wall that scored Brandon Marsh and Kyle Schwarber.

Marsh had hit a double to open the inning and Schwarber was walked by Verlander.

It turned into another underwhelming World Series outing for Verlander, who at 39 is in the running for a third Cy Young Award.

After dominating through three innings, he departed after five having surrendered six hits and five runs, all earned, with two walks and five strikeouts.

The Astros escaped a bases-loaded jam in the seventh inning and threatened in the ninth, when Jose Altuve singled with two outs and stole second.

Jeremy Pena then lofted a ball to right field, but Castellanos made the diving catch to send the game to extra innings.

"How long did we have the lead -- 15 minutes?" Castellanos said. "Sometimes that's all you need."

Phillies relief pitcher David Robertson got the save in the bottom of the 10th, despite a double by Alex Bregman and a walk to Yuli Gurriel.

The Astros, who are in the World Series for the fourth time in six seasons, will try to regroup when they host game two on Saturday.

F.Jackson--ThChM