2022 World Series: Top trending moments from Phillies' Game 1 win
The Philadelphia Phillies continued their magical October run with a stunning comeback from a 5-0 deficit to beat the Houston Astros in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday. Here are some top moments from the game that sent social media abuzz.
To lean or not to lean
Astros pinch-hitter Aledmys Díaz was hit by a pitch with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning, but home plate umpire James Hoye did not award him first base — instead ruling that Díaz leaned into the pitch. According to rule 6.08 (b) of the official MLB rule book, a batter is not awarded first base when hit by a pitch if he "makes no attempt to avoid being touched by the ball."
The ruling caused a stir on social media, though many agreed with Hoye's call.
Díaz, however, adamantly denied trying to get hit on purpose.
Díaz also earned criticism for swinging at a 3-0 pitch from Phillies closer David Robertson that was well outside the strike zone. He later grounded out to third base to end the game.
New England Sports Network analyst Will Middlebrooks, a former World Series champion with the Boston Red Sox, believes Díaz's decisions on the two pitches may be correlated.
Castellanos comes through … with his glove?!?
Nick Castellanos has never been known as a standout defensive player. In fact, he was expected to primarily play left field and designated hitter this season. However, he has been pressed into duty in right field due to an elbow injury to Bryce Harper that has forced the former MVP to play exclusively at DH throughout this postseason run. (It's worked out pretty well for Harper.)
Yet when it mattered most, Castellanos came up big, making a huge play on a sinking blooper from the Astros' Jeremy Peña with two outs in the ninth. Had Castellanos not gotten to the ball, José Altuve almost certainly would have scored from second base and given Houston a walk-off victory. Instead, J.T. Realmuto put Philadelphia in the lead for good with a home run in the 10th.
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Nick Castellanos makes a sliding catch to send Game 1 of the World Series into extra innings.
Social media was stunned that out of everyone on the field, it was Castellanos making a game-saving play with his glove.
Harper, watching from the dugout, was ecstatic as well.
Castellanos previously made an almost identical sliding catch to preserve a one-run, ninth-inning lead in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves.
A bitter déjà vu for Dusty
The Astros became the first team to blow a five-run lead in a World Series game in 20 years. The last time it happened was Game 6 of the 2002 World Series, where the Los Angeles Angels staged a memorable late-inning comeback to seize momentum from the San Francisco Giants and eventually win the series in seven games. The manager of that Giants team? Current Astros manager Dusty Baker.
What will Game 2 of the World Series between the Phillies and Astros bring? Find out at 8 p.m. ET Saturday on FOX and the FOX Sports app.