Astros force series back to Houston with 9-5 win!– OnMyWay Mobile App User

11:58 p.m.

Jose Altuve and the Astros added on in the eighth inning, pushing their lead to 9-5 and moving closer to taking this World Series back to Houston.

Altuve led off the eighth with a walk, took second after getting picked off and came around to score on Carlos Correa’s single. It was Altuve’s 21st run this postseason, matching Carlos Beltrán’s output in 2004 for most in a postseason.

Correa’s hit was his third of the game, and Yuli Gurriel followed with his third hit, too, but both were left stranded.

Kendall Graveman worked around Austin Riley’s leadoff single in the bottom of the eighth to preserve the four-run advantage.

___

11:30 p.m.

A big swing by light-hitting catcher Martín Maldonado gave the Astros another run in the seventh inning, and they carried an 8-5 lead over Atlanta into the eighth.

Trailing 3-1 in the Series, Houston is six outs from forcing a Game 6 back home on Tuesday night.

Kyle Tucker doubled with one out in the seventh off left-hander Drew Smyly and scored when Maldonado lined a two-out single into left field. It was the third RBI of the game for Maldonado, who began the night 4 for 41 this postseason with two RBIs.

___

10:40 p.m.

Houston has come back again, scoring three times with two outs in the fifth inning to take a 7-5 lead over the Atlanta Braves into the sixth.

Carlos Correa had a leadoff single against lefty reliever A.J. Minter for his second hit of the night. Correa moved up on Yuli Gurriel’s one-out single, and both runners advanced when Kyle Tucker grounded out to the right side.

Alex Bregman was intentionally walked to bring up light-hitting catcher Martín Maldonado with the bases loaded. Looking to get on base and tie the game any which way, Maldonado moved right on top of the plate and appeared to be taking all the way early in the count.

He showed bunt on 3-1, and Minter missed way inside to force in the tying run with a walk. Pinch-hitter Marwin Gonzalez dumped the next pitch into shallow left field for a two-run single that put the Astros ahead for the first time in Game 5 after they trailed 4-0 in the first.

Gonzalez, added to the roster for the World Series, fisted a soft looper that came off the bat at just 71 mph and landed only 235 feet from home plate.

Chris Martin struck out Jose Altuve to prevent further damage.

Phil Maton came out of the bullpen for Houston in the bottom of the sixth and worked a scoreless inning. He gave up a two-out double to Austin Riley before retiring NLCS MVP Eddie Rosario on a comebacker.

___

10:05 p.m.

Things settled down a bit in the fourth inning of Game 5 at the World Series.

For the first time all night, both teams made it through their half inning without giving up a run, leaving the Braves with a 5-4 lead.

José Urquidy took over as Houston’s third pitcher of the game and worked around Travis d’Arnaud’s leadoff single.

There was an interesting tidbit in the top half of the inning. The Astros sent up pitcher Zack Greinke as a pinch-hitter — and he delivered a line-drive single to right off Jesse Chavez.

Greinke became the first pitcher with a pinch hit in the World Series since Jack Bentley had two of them in 1923.

Greinke now has two hits in this Series, just as many as Astros star third baseman Alex Bregman, who is struggling so badly that Houston dropped him to seventh in the batting order for Game 5.

Nothing came of Greinke’s rather historic hit. Atlanta’s third pitcher, A.J. Minter, came on in relief of Chavez to strike out Michael Brantley.

___

9:45 p.m.

Freddie Freeman hit the Braves’ second go-ahead homer of the game, restoring a 5-4 lead in the third inning after Atlanta manager Brian Snitker’s attempt to squeeze another inning out of rookie opener Tucker Davidson backfired big time.

Jose Altuve reached leading off the third when Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson committed his second error of the World Series, and Davidson then walked Michael Brantley.

Jesse Chavez relieved and allowed an RBI double to Carlos Correa. After Yordan Alvarez popped up, Yuli Gurriel tied it at 4 with an RBI groundout. Kyle Tucker walked before Alex Bregman flew out to end the threat.