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Dick Druckman
World Series

Philadelphia Phillies hit five home runs in 7-0 win over Houston Astros

Houston’s offence was kept silent in game three of the best-of-seven Fall Classic.

THE PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES have taken a 2-1 lead in the World Series following a commanding 7-0 victory over the Houston Astros.

Bryce Harper, Alec Bohm, Brandon Marsh, Kyle Schwarber and Rhys Hoskins all homered for the Phillies while Houston’s offence was kept silent in game three of the best-of-seven Fall Classic.

Harper got the hosts off to a perfect start with a home run off his very first pitch, sending Schwarber and himself across home plate for a 2-0 advantage at the bottom of the first inning.

The lead stretched to four in the second courtesy of Bohm and Marsh, before Schwarber and Hoskins put the game out of reach in the fifth.

It was a nightmare evening all around for the Astros, as they struggled both at the plate and on the mound.

Phillies pitcher Ranger Suarez gave up just three hits over five shutout innings, while Houston’s Lance McCullers Jr became the first pitcher ever to allow five homers in a World Series game.

“Ranger really, really pitched well. I mean, the poise is through the roof,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “Nothing really bothers him. He just executed all night long.”

Harper revealed after the victory that the Phillies bats had been determined to dominate McCullers from the outset.

“We had a great approach,” Harper said.  “We talked about it before the game, just trying to get on him early and often.

“He’s a really good postseason pitcher and that’s a really good team over there.

“We’ve got to keep it going for the next two days and hopefully end it here at home.”

In the fifth, the Phillies tagged on two more runs, with Kyle Schwarber belting a 443-foot monster into center-field off McCullers to score Marsh for a 6-0 lead.

McCullers’ miserable night was not over, however, with Rhys Hoskins the next to plunder a home run off the Astros starter on the next bat, blasting an 85mph slider into left field to make it 7-0.

Ryne Stanek was brought on to stop the bleeding and end the inning, but the damage had been done.

Astros manager Dusty Baker said seeing McCullers pounded for five home runs had been “mind-boggling” — but doubted the Astros starter had been tipping pitches.

“It was kind of mind-boggling, because he doesn’t give up homers,” Baker said. “He usually keeps the ball in the ballpark.

“So what can I say? The line score looks bad but they were just hitting us.

“We’ve just got to go back to the drawing board and figure was it them tonight, or was it Lance tonight not having his stuff? We’ll go back and figure it out.”

Phillies reliever Andrew Bellatti wrapped up victory in the ninth inning, claiming the outs of Yuli Gurriel, Trey Mancini and Chas McCormick.

The win leaves the Phillies just two wins from clinching the Major League Baseball crown, with games four and five in Philadelphia on Wednesday and Thursday.

Harper said the raucous home support had also been a factor in the Phillies’ emphatic win.

“They keep us going, keep us fired up,” he said. “We were able to come out on the field today and they were already all here, fired up and ready to go.

“They believe in us and we believe in them.”

(additional reporting by AFP)

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