HOUSTON — Five years after he started Game 7 of the 2017 World Series — a game the Astros won over the Dodgers in Los Angeles for their first championship in club history — right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. will return to the Fall Classic stage when he starts Game 3 of the World Series on Monday night in Philadelphia.
The best-of-seven series against the Phillies is tied, 1-1, after the Astros beat the Phillies, 5-2, on Saturday night at Minute Maid Park.
McCullers will be making his third start of the 2022 playoffs, having pitched in clinching games in the American League Division Series and the AL Championship Series. He threw six scoreless innings in the Astros’ 18-inning win over Seattle in Game 3 of the ALDS and gave up four runs (three earned) on eight hits and one walk over five innings in Game 4 of the ALCS against the Yankees in New York.
“I’m really excited,” McCullers said. “They came in here and did what they were supposed to, and they got the split 1-1, so it’s going to be up to us to go into their park and play three on the road and play good baseball. Pocket [I’m] really looking forward to experiencing the crowd. I’ve heard a lot about it. So I’ve been pretty open. I’m a really big fan of the game, and I think it will be a great moment. I’m looking forward to trying to pitch us to a win.”
McCullers is one of the best big-game pitchers in Astros history, going 2-2 with a 2.77 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP in 18 career games (11 starts) in the postseason. His 11 playoff starts and 68 1/3 innings are second-most in franchise history behind Justin Verlander (17 playoff starts, 104 1/3 innings).
Across his two previous World Series starts, both in 2017, he’s given up three runs, seven hits, four walks and hit four batters in 7 2/3 innings. He also drove in a run in Game 7 in ’17 while pitching just 2 1/3 innings at Dodger Stadium.
McCullers faced the Phillies in his final regular-season start on Oct. 3, holding them to one run on six hits and one walk over six innings. He surrendered a leadoff homer to Kyle Schwarber and wound up suffering the loss because the Astros were shut out by the Phillies, 3-0, as Philadelphia clinched the final NL Wild Card spot.
“They have guys really from the jump, with Schwarber all the way down until at least the middle of that lineup, that hit for average and hit for power,” McCullers said. “And then you have guys at the bottom who, you saw the at-bat that [Bryson] Stott ate tonight [in Game 2]. That was one of the most impressive at-bats I’ve seen in a while. And when they get on, they can run, and then they put the ball in play. So they’re a really complete team. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
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