The Astros will try to close the World Series in Houston

Houston. Dusty Baker has been here before.

It’s hard to forget the last time the current Astros manager had a 3-2 lead in the World Series.heading into Game 6 scheduled for tonight and back in Houston against the Philadelphia Phillies.

If the Astros win, they will be champions.

In 2002, the San Francisco Giants were led by Baker and had Barry Bonds as their greatest figure, ultimately the greatest home run hitter in history. They went into game six against the Los Angeles Angels also up 3-2.

As the road team for the last two games of that series, the Giants blew a five-run lead in Game 6 to lose 7-6. In the seventh, the Angels were crowned by winning 4-1.

Twenty years later, on his third trip to a Fall Classic, Baker is still looking for that championship that has eluded him after a quarter of a century as a pilot in Major League Baseball (MLB). As a player, he went to the World Series three times with the Los Angeles Dodgers and won it all as a terrific hitter and left fielder in 1981.

“I don’t think about the situation I’m in,” Baker said of the title hunt. “I only take one day off, because if you think about something too much all the time you go crazy.”

With AJ Hinch as manager, the Astros also led the World Series 3-2 in 2019, against the Washington Nationals, who won in seven games.

Baker, 73, whose contract expires at the end of the postseason. He also insisted that he has not spent time worrying about his future.

“I have simply learned over time that you have to live life, do the right thing, take advantage of the moment, enjoy as much as you can,” he said. “You have to enjoy this trip… I always thought: ‘Well, when I have to win I will win and when I have to sign a contract I will sign it.’ In the meantime, I’m just going to go out and enjoy what I’ve been doing for a long time.”

The Astros took the lead in the series by winning the last two games. Cristian Javier and three relievers combined for the second no-hitter in World Series history.

That historic event came in Game 4, before Justin Verlander finally won a Fall Classic matchup in Game 5, thanks to a key home run by rookie Jeremy Pena and a tremendous ninth-inning catch by Chas McCormick. .

Despite a two-game losing streak, Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson isn’t worried about his team. After all, it’s the same roster, led by Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, that overcame a 22-29 start to make the playoffs, something the Phillies haven’t since 2011.

“We’ve played some really good ball,” Thomson said. “I don’t think there is reason to panic. We just have to keep doing what we’ve done. You have to concentrate on the details. I always tell them: ‘Let’s focus on the little things and big things will happen’”.

Houston will field Framber Valdez against Zach Wheeler. It will be a repeat of the pitch duel recorded in the second game, which the Astros won 5-2.