Astros surge ahead, beat Phillies 5-2 to tie World Series at 1-1 | Sport

HOUSTON — Framber Valdez hit a five-run home run behind Houston’s Alex Bregman in the first inning, and the Astros beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-2 on Saturday night to even the World Series at one game apiece.

Just like in Game 1, the Astros jumped out to a 5-0 lead. Unlike ace Justin Verlander in the opener, Valdes and Houston persevered.

Valdez bounced back from a pair of bad outings in last year’s series to throw the ball in the seventh and the bullpen worked through a few jams to get things done.

Jose Altuve, Jeremy Peña and Jordan Alvarez doubled as Houston took a two-run lead in four innings against Zack Wheeler. An error allowed one more run in the first, and Bregman added a two-run homer in the fifth.

A day after coming back to win 6-5 in 10 innings. Philadelphia tried to rally in this one, too.

With the Phillies trailing by four runs, Kyle Schwarber drove deep down the right field line with a man on in the eighth against Rafael Montero, who had initially driven a two-run homer down the right field line by umpire James Hoy.

First base umpire Trip Gibson initially signaled to the umpires for a conference, and the call was overturned during a home crew review when it was determined the ball was on the foul side of the pole.

Schwarber, who led the NL in home runs this season, then hit a long drive that was caught off the right field wall.

Ryan Pressley capped off a six-hitter, giving up a run on an error by first baseman Julius Gurriel.

After a split in Houston, the streak resumes Monday night when the streak hosts Citizens Bank Park for the first time since 2009.

Of the 61 previous 1-1 series ties, the winner of Game 2 has won the title 31 times — but only four of the last 14.

After struggling to a 19.29 ERA in a pair of starts in last year’s six-game loss to Atlanta, Valdes pitched with polish and poise. His cheeks glistening with sweat, the 28-year-old left-hander struck out nine and walked three while allowing four hits in 6 1/3 innings.

He blasted batters with a fastball averaging 95.6 miles per hour and baffled them with his curveball, which resulted in three strikeouts — it looked like it. Unusually, he changed gloves and cleats in the middle of an outing.

With the Phillies’ only two runners on base against him in the sixth, Valdez struck out Game 1 star JT Realmuth on a hot out, then got Bryce Harper to ground out on the first pitch into an inning-ending double play.

Nick Castellanos led off the seventh with a double, and Valdez retired after the round put a runner on. Montero allowed Jean Segura’s sacrifice fly to the warning track in left.

A day after the stunning loss, the Astros came out swinging and became the first team to open a series game with three consecutive extra-base hits.

Altuve, who dropped to 4-for-37 on the postseason, hit the first of three shots to left-center, and Peña hit a curveball into the left-field corner for a 1-0 lead.

Alvarez was fouled out of bounds and drove a slider high off the 19-foot wall in left. Wheeler should have escaped with only a 2-0 lead, but shortstop Edmund Sosa bounced the first of three Gurriel bunkers on an error, the ball flying off the mitt of first baseman Rhys Hoskins.

Bregman, healthy after two injury-plagued seasons, hit a two-run homer to left in the fifth when Wheeler left a slider over the middle of the plate. Bregman has six career homers and three this postseason with nine RBI.

Houston won 106 games on the season to Philadelphia’s 87, the second-largest margin of victory in a series after the 93-win Chicago White Sox edged out the Cubs’ 116 victories in 1906.

LHP Ranger Suárez is likely to start Game 3 for the Phillies and RHP Lance McCullers Jr. for the Astros. Suarez pitched in relief in the first, striking out Alvarez to end the seventh and leaving Bregman to start the eighth. He gave up Kyle Tucker’s single and was relieved. McCullers had two no-decision starts in the playoffs.