Houston Astros win World Series, hand historic victory to baseball legend and manager Dusty Baker

The Houston Astros won their second World Series title in the team’s 61-year history with a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 6, handing a historic, long sought victory to long-time manager Dusty Baker.

The Astros and Phillies fought a long hard pitchers battle until the sixth inning, with Philadelphia scoring a home run from left fielder Kyle Schwarber. Houston then made a comeback with a home run from left fielder Yordan Alvarez, whose 450-foot three-run slammer landed in center field. Houston then rolled out a series of relievers behind starter Framber Valdez, who pitched six innings for the win.

The epic conclusion marked a final victory for the team, which won the final three games of the Series after trailing 2-1.

The Astros victory is an irrefutable vindication for the team after their 2017 championship, which came during a season when Houston reportedly used an illegal sign-stealing scheme. It also delivered a hard earned championship ring to 73-year-old Baker who has managed 25 seasons at the major-league level and taken teams to the World Series three times.

Throughout his career, Baker won 2,093 of the 3,884 regular season major-league games that he managed through this year. Having won one title as a player with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1981, Saturday night’s victory was his first World Series title as a manager. Coaches and players alike rushed out to embrace Baker with a heroes congratulations after a foul ball to right field made the final out, marking the team’s historic win.

Although Houston’s victory was historic, it was not entirely surprising. The Astros’ came to the World Series from the American League’s top slot after 106 regular season wins. Philadelphia considered the underdog from the beginning found its way to the Series after the MLB’s expanded the postseason format and increased the tournament from 10 teams to 12. Their success in pushing Houston to Game 6 surprised many.

Houston’s season was a warpath. The team moved through victory after victory after last year’s World Series loss to Atlanta.

“They had the best overall pitching staff in franchise history, led by 39-year-old ace Justin Verlander, who is the favorite to win the American League Cy Young award in his first season back from Tommy John surgery,” reported the Wall Street Journal.

Houston pitched two combined no-hitters in 2022, one against the New York Yankees in late June. They defeated the Seattle Mariners in the ALDS and then swept the Yankees in the ALCS to secure their second change two years in a row at the World Series.

Baker and general manager James Click were brought in to run the team in 2020 after details of the 2017 cheating scandal emerged. The two are not under contract for the 2023 season, but that could change considering their three-year success streak.

Rookie shortstop Jeremy Peña was named the series MVP. Cuban baseball player Yordan Alvarez was named Astros MVP earlier this year in October.