With less pitching depth than the Astros, the Phillies turned to Noah Syndergaard as their starter for Game 5. Syndergaard, a former Mets standout who was also returning from Tommy John surgery this season, had pitched out of the bullpen a few times down the stretch. But starting Syndergaard on Thursday allowed the Phillies to buy more time for Wheeler, who returned in late September from right elbow inflammation.
Expected to be the first of many pitchers in a bullpen game, Syndergaard coughed up a run in just four pitches after Astros second baseman Jose Altuve doubled and Peña singled him home. No longer possessing the high 90s fastball he once had before his elbow injury, Syndergaard neutralized the Astros for two more innings before he gave them the lead.
When Syndergaard hung a curveball to Peña to start the fourth inning, Peña took advantage, hitting the ball 350 feet and just over the left field wall for a go-ahead solo blast. It was his fourth homer this postseason.
With a 2-1 lead, Baker showed that there was indeed a limit for Verlander. After Verlander allowed Harper to reach base for a third time in the fifth inning, he escaped unscathed and the Phillies again failed to convert a scoring opportunity.
So with Verlander at 94 pitches, Baker turned the game over to the Astros’ stout bullpen. Abreu, who was part of the Astros’ combined no-hitter in Game 4, delivered one and one-thirds powerhouse innings, carving through the heart of the Phillies’ order with 98-mile per hour fastballs and wicked sliders.
The Phillies injected life into Citizens Bank Park and drama into the game when Astros reliever Rafael Montero walked two batters in the eighth inning and coughed up a run-scoring single to Segura. It was the Phillies’ first hit with a runner in scoring position since Game 1, snapping an 0-for-20 skid in those situations.
Baker called on his closer, Ryan Pressly, to clean up the mess and attempt a five-out save. He struck out Marsh and then got Schwarber to slap a ball down the first base line. That is when Mancini — usually known more for his hitting, which has been a struggle this postseason — made a lunging stab on the ball and reached back for the bag with his feet.
And after Pressley fired a scoreless ninth inning, with help from McCormick, the Astros celebrated and packed up. On Friday, they planned to fly home, where a title that could redefine this era was within reach.