MLB World Series Live: The Astros are back. For the fourth time in six seasons and the second year in a row, they find themselves in the World Series. The Major League Baseball season is nearly complete, and it will culminate with a World Series matchup between the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies beginning Friday night.
Watch 2022 The World Series Live
The Astros, who won 106 games during the regular season to claim the top seed in the American League, will host the first two games and try to maintain their perfect postseason record. The 87-win Phillies will look to extend their magical run as the National League’s lowest seed and steal at least one road win, which they’ve done in their first three series this postseason, before the series heads to Philadelphia.
The Astros, winners of the AL West, are playing in their second straight World Series and fourth in the past six seasons. The Phillies snapped an 11-year playoff drought this year and are in the Fall Classic for the first time since they made back-to-back appearances in 2008 and 2009.
The Astros faced NL East opponents in their previous two World Series appearances. A year ago, they lost to the Atlanta Braves in six games. In 2019, they lost to the Washington Nationals in seven. Houston’s lone championship came in 2017 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but that title was clouded when it was later revealed that the Astros were aided by a sign-stealing scheme that season.
Second baseman José Altuve and third baseman Alex Bregman remain from that championship team. Ace right-hander Justin Verlander does, too; he missed last season because of Tommy John surgery but could be this year’s AL Cy Young Award winner at age 39. And though the Astros have lost key pieces such as Carlos Correa and George Springer in free agency, young players such as designated hitter Yordan Alvarez, outfielder Kyle Tucker and rookie shortstop Jeremy Peña the ALCS MVP have helped keep their stretch of dominance going.