In a tension-filled extra-inning battle that fans will not soon forget, the Dodgers lost Game 2 of the World Series with the Houston Astros Wednesday night.
That means the Boys in Blue will try to win the series away from L.A. at the Astros home stadium.
The loss brings the series to a tie with each team having won one game in the best of seven series.
George Springer hit a two-run home run in the top of the 11th inning as the Houston Astros defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers, 7-6, at Dodger Stadium.
Charlie Culberson homered with two outs in the bottom of the 11th, but Chris Devenski struck out Yasiel Puig on a full-count pitch to give the Astros their first World Series victory. They were swept in the 2005 World Series by the Chicago White Sox and lost Game 1 to the Dodgers, 3-1, Tuesday.
Both Houston and the Dodgers rallied during what would have been their last at-bat to extend the game.
The Dodgers entered their half of the 10th trailing 5-3, after Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa greeted reliever Josh Fields with back-to-back home runs in the top of the 10th.
Puig homered leading off the bottom of the 10th off Ken Giles, who struck out the next two batters, Yasmani Grandal and Austin Barnes. Logan Forsythe walked on a full count and advanced to second on a wild pitch.
Kiki Hernandez singled in Forsythe, with Hernandez taking second on the throw to the plate. Chris Devenski relieved Giles and got Chris Taylor to fly out to center to end the inning.
Devenski, the fifth Houston pitcher, was credited with the victory, allowing only Culberson’s home run in his 1 1/3 innings. Brandon McCarthy, the ninth Dodger pitcher, took the loss, allowing two runs and two hits in one inning.
The Astros tied the score in the top of the ninth when Marwin Gonzalez homered off Dodger closer Kenley Jansen,
The Dodgers were held to two hits through seven innings but held a 3-1 lead entering the eighth on home runs by Joc Pederson and Corey Seager.
Jansen entered the game with no outs in the top of the eighth and Alex Bregman on second after a ground-rule double off Brandon Morrow that bounced off the glove of Puig, the Dodgers right fielder, and bounced into the crowd adjacent to foul territory.
Jansen induced Altuve, the first batter he faced, to ground out, with Bregman advancing to third. The next hitter, Carlos Correa singled, driving in Bregman and ending the L.A. bullpen’s 28-inning scoreless streak during the postseason.
Houston opened the scoring in the third. Former Dodger Josh Reddick led off with an infield single, moved to second on Justin Verlander’s sacrifice bunt, third on Springer’s single and scored on Bregman’s single.
Seager hit a tie-breaking two-run homer in the sixth inning following a full-count walk to Chris Taylor.
Pederson homered with two outs in the fifth after Verlander did not allow a hit over the first 4 2/3 innings.
Verlander, the Astros starter, allowed three runs and two hits over six innings, striking out five and walking two.
Rich Hill, the Dodgers starter, was removed by manager Dave Roberts after four innings. He allowed one run and three hits, struck out seven and walked three.
Following an off-day, the series will resume Friday at Houston’s Minute Maid Park.
Dodgers pitcher turned broadcaster Fernando Valenzuela threw the ceremonial first pitch after retired broadcaster Vin Scully feigned that he would. Valenzuela’s pitch was caught by Dodgers catching instructor Steve Yeager, a Dodgers catcher from 1972-85.
The capacity crowd of 54,293 for the four-hour, 19-minute game included actor Norman Lloyd, who will turn 103 on Nov. 8. Lloyd, best known for his portrayal of Dr. Daniel Auschlander on the 1982-88 NBC medical drama “St. Elsewhere,” also attended Game 1 of the 1926 World Series between the New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals.
— Staff and wire reports