{"id":259639,"date":"2022-10-29T06:13:41","date_gmt":"2022-10-29T10:13:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/?p=259639"},"modified":"2022-10-29T06:13:41","modified_gmt":"2022-10-29T10:13:41","slug":"postseason-diary-astros-phillies-and-the-keys-to-the-world-series","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oncubanews.com\/en\/sports\/baseball\/postseason-diary-astros-phillies-and-the-keys-to-the-world-series\/","title":{"rendered":"Postseason diary: Astros-Phillies and the keys to the World Series"},"content":{"rendered":"

As happens every year at the end of October, the baseball world will come to a standstill for one reason: the Major League Baseball World Series. This time around, the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies will meet in an unprecedented Fall Classic, which will connect two cities separated by more than 1,500 miles, although in reality that is a path that both teams have traveled much more than we can imagine.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tonight, when the voice of \u00a1Play ball! Is heard at Minute Maid Park in Houston, will revive one of the most recurring rivalries between the early 1960s and late 1990s will be relived, a period in which the Astros and Phillies met in more than 470 games, including a Championship Series in 1980.<\/span><\/p>\n

To understand this phenomenon, it\u2019s necessary to go back in time to the beginning of the Expansion Era in MLB, which allowed Houston to enter the National League. The Texas franchise debuted under the name of Houston Colt. 45s on April 10, 1962, and three days later they played their first game against the Phillies.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the old Shiba Park, already known at that time as Connie Mack Stadium, Houston and Philadelphia crossed for the first time exactly 60 years ago, the Phillies emerged victorious with a 3-2 score, with a marked role for Cuban outfielder Tony Gonz\u00e1lez, who defined the clash with a triple RBI in the eighth inning, shortly after hitting a solo home run.<\/span><\/p>\n

That was the beginning of an era of constant Philadelphia vs. Houston confrontations. Between 1962 and 2000, for example, they met in 490 games, with 256 wins for the Phillies and 234 for the Astros. From 2001 to date, the duels decreased (85) and the dominance was reversed, since the Astros have won 47 times against 38 defeats, although since they went to the American League in 2013 their balance is negative: 4-5 .<\/span><\/p>\n

The high point of this rivalry was in 1980, when the Phillies and Astros collided in the National League Championship Series. That was a memorable duel that extended to the limit of five games, four of them defined in extra innings.<\/span><\/p>\n

Philadelphia came out ahead with a victory in the first game, then lost two and were on the brink of the abyss, but they reacted and came back in the Astrodome, with crucial contributions from Greg Luzinski and Manny Trillo, the latter selected as the Most Valuable Player of the Series.<\/span><\/p>\n

That was the prelude to the Phillies\u2019 third place in the World Series and the first title in franchise history. After unseating Houston, they followed the same path against the Kansas City Royals, supported by the stellar performance of their star, Mike Schmidt, who hit a couple of home runs, drove in seven runs and averaged .381 in the six duels that the Fall Classic lasted.<\/span><\/p>\n