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Houston
Fighting back from a four-run deficit and a later three-run hole, the Houston Astros scrapped their way into an epic 13-12 World Series triumph Sunday over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Now the Astros lead Major League Baseball's best-of-seven final 3-2 and are on the verge of the first crown in their 55-year history provided they can stand the strain of such tense dramas.
"It's crazy man. These games are hard on me. I feel like I'm going to have a heart attack out there every single time," said Puerto Rican shortstop Carlos Correa, whose two-run blast was among five home runs by the Astros in the 10-inning slugfest.
"It's high pressure out there. The game is going back and forth. Both teams are great, scoring runs and there's a lot of pressure on you when you're out there and you want to win.
"So hopefully we can win one more game and take a break."
The Dodgers, who host game six Tuesday in Los Angeles and a game seven if needed on Wednesday, seized a 4-0 lead but squandered such an edge for the first time all year.
They jumped back in front 7-4 only to see the Astros' Venezuelan second baseman Jose Altuve match Yuli Gurriel in smashing a three-run homer that again lifted Houston level.
"It's a lot of emotions going on in that game. But the thing is we never give up," Altuve said."It doesn't matter if we start the game 4-0, but we keep playing, we keep putting some really good at-bats together.
"We came back twice, we took the lead, they tied the game, and we did it again. This is the team we are. This is the team we've been all season long. And I'm really proud of every single guy in that clubhouse, because everybody did something to help us win the game."
None gave more than Alex Bregman, whose two-out, 10th-inning single plated Derek Fisher with the winning run.
"We're never out of the game. We're going to keep fighting to the end," Bregman said."And now look at us, we're one win away from being World Series champions."
