HOUSTON – Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto hit a tiebreaking home run in the top of the 10th inning, leading to a stunning 6-5 victory against the Houston Astros in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday night.
The Phillies scored six straight runs after trailing 5-0 early in the game.
Realmuto deposited a 3-2 fastball by Astros reliever Luis Garcia into the right-field stands, sending his dugout into a frenzy. The home run came moments after Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos made a sliding catch in the bottom of the ninth to preserve the tie.
The game had no scoring from the fifth inning until Realmuto’s home run, as Astros starter Justin Verlander couldn’t hold the 5-0 advantage. Right fielder Kyle Tucker homered in his first two at-bats to help give Houston the early lead, but the Phillies stormed back.
Philadelphia scored three in the fourth and two more in the fifth, all off Verlander, who has a 6.07 career ERA now in the World Series, the second-highest in history among those with five or more starts.
The Astros left the tying and winning runs on base in the bottom of the 10th as Tucker struck out and pinch-hitter Aledmys Diaz grounded out.
Realmuto is the first catcher with an extra-inning home run in the World Series since Carlton Fisk’s walk-off in Game 6 of the 1975 series.
The loss was the first for the Astros this postseason.