HOUSTON, United States (AFP) — Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts vowed resiliency after an emotional defeat while the Houston Astros try to carry over World Series momentum as baseball’s championship showdown shifts to Texas.
The Astros rallied from a three-run deficit for an 11-inning 7-6 road victory to level Major League Baseball’s best-of-seven final at 1-1 entering Thursday’s game three at Houston, where the Astros have yet to lose in the playoffs.
“We’re upbeat. And still focused,” Roberts said. “We knew that it was going to be a really great series. So focus is probably the word. It’s not down. It’s not disappointed. There’s definitely no feeling sorry for ourselves. I think it’s still a very focused group.”
Dodgers right-handed pitcher Yu Darvish will start against Houston right-hander Lance McCullers as both clubs try to put the tension-packed thriller behind them.
“It was an incredible game. It was just fun to be a part of,” said Astros third baseman Alex Bregman. “It gave us a little bit of momentum and we’re happy to be home.”
Astros manager A.J. Hinch will happily claim momentum after finally finding their batting touch against solid Dodgers’ pitching.
“We’re coming off one of the most epic baseball games in any of our careers, so that feels good. I think our guys are ready,” Hinch said.
“If we lost I would have said no. Since we won, I’d say absolutely, this will be a big swing… You literally are at the momentum of the next game. It’s 1-1, it doesn’t mean anything is decided. Tomorrow is a huge game.”
Roberts has stressed fighting back for a Dodgers team that won the most games in the major leagues this season.
“It’s just part of who we are,” Roberts said. “We haven’t been in a 1-1 situation, but you look at a season, there’s a lot of stressful situations where your back’s against the wall, where you have to bow your neck and fight. And that’s just who we are.
“Yeah, last night hurt. We turned the page. We’ll be ready to go tomorrow.”
Darvish is 4-1 at Houston since 2013 with their American League west division rivals the Texas Rangers, who traded the Japanese ace to the Dodgers in July.
“Momentum is the next day’s starting pitcher,” Roberts said. “We expect Yu to spit out a good one tomorrow and we’re going to kind of follow his lead.
“Yu is going to pitch well and we expect to win.”
McCullers has taken an emotional boost from the game-two Houston win, the first World Series triumph in Astros history.
“Our guys showed a lot of heart. Showed we were a relentless group,” McCullers said. “I’m excited. I feel really good. And I just have to continue to stick with my plan and stay in the moment.
“I go out there and I stay on the attack. I’m very confident in myself.”
An electric atmosphere
A slight chance of rain has players hoping their stadium’s retractable roof will be closed, creating a more intense atmosphere for players and spectators alike.
“We want it closed. We’ve got to have it closed. I feel the electricity when it’s closed is so much better,” Astros pitcher Chris Devenski said.
“We love playing here. We have so much excitement being here and the electricity and the vibe. And I feel like we feed off of it.”
Added Hinch: “It’s quite an environment when we play under the roof. Our fans get going. It was one of the loudest stadiums the last series. I expect it to be the same.”
© Agence France-Presse
