It was a credit to the Phillies that a 5-0 Astros lead after five innings of Game 2 of the World Series did not feel like finality. And it was a credit to the Astros that, for the second straight night, they had put together a 5-0 lead against a Phillies ace.
This time, though, the Astros made their early advantage stand, and now we have an even Series to show for it.
In a 5-2 victory Saturday night at Minute Maid Park, the Astros attacked Zack Wheeler and then put their lead in the more-than-capable left hand of Framber Valdez, whose terrific 6 1/3 innings made sure those rare runs off Philadelphia’s finest arm were not for naught. Though the game was not without late-inning drama — including Kyle Schwarber just barely missing a two-run homer not once but twice in the eighth inning — it was a game that belonged to the home club.
