PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — One of the most unlikely and inspiring postseason runs in Philadelphia Phillies history, one which enlivened and united a fragmented, often-struggling city into a screaming red-and-powder blue-clad army supporting a band of likable home run-hitting heroes who embraced them back, has ended.
Four Houston Astros runs in the sixth inning of World Series Game 6, three from a 450-foot home run by Yordan Alvarez just after manager Rob Thomson took ace pitcher Zack Wheeler out of the game, finally took the life out of the Fightin’ Phils after 17 incredible postseason games.
The last ended as a 4-1 Astros win, ending the Phillies’ season and giving Houston its second World Series title.
The game’s first five innings were scoreless, as Wheeler and Astros star pitcher Framber Valdez gave up a combined three hits during that stretch, taking less than 150 combined pitches to get through those innings.
Kyle Schwarber ended the double shutout in the sixth inning, taking a 2-2 pitch from Valdez deep to right field to give Philadelphia the game’s first lead.
The sixth-inning fireworks just began, though. In the inning's bottom half, after two runners got on base, the Phillies took out Wheeler who only threw 70 pitches on the night.
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With Jose Alvarado on the mound as Wheeler’s replacement, Alvarez promptly parked a pitch 450 feet from home plate, far beyond the wall in center field in the deepest part of Minute Maid Park, and gave Houston a 3-1 advantage.
Christian Vázquez added to the Phillies’ deficit in the sixth with an RBI single to left field.
The loss ended the Phillies’ eighth World Series appearance, with two world championships in 1980 and 2008.
It ended the Phillies’ season, one which seemed nearly doomed after the Phillies fired manager Joe Girardi following a 22-29 start, and chose newly-permanent manager Thomson who took his Phillies on a 76-56 run combining the regular season and playoffs.
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It also ended one of the most improbable runs in recent postseason history, a sixth-seeded making the World Series without the benefit of home-field advantage in any postseason matchup and going 11-6 in those 17 intense games that awakened and energized a city.
Most importantly, it made Philadelphia proud.