Anderson and the Atlanta bullpen take a no-hit bid into the eighth, Austin Riley and Travis d’Arnaud drive in runs and the Braves top the Astros, 2-0, for a 2-1 series lead.
ATLANTA — Ian Anderson had pitched five no-hit innings when Brian Snitker walked up to the 23-year-old and said, “That’s it.” “Are you sure? Are you sure?” the rookie right-hander asked. “I’m going with my gut right here,” the manager said. On a night that showed how much baseball has evolved in the Analytics Age, Anderson and the Braves’ bullpen took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning, Austin Riley and Travis d’Arnaud drove in runs and Atlanta beat the Houston Astros,2-0, on Friday to grab a 2-1 World Series lead. Pinch-hitter Aledmys Díaz blooped a single leading off the eighth against Tyler Matzek that dropped in front of Eddie Rosario, just 232 feet from home plate, for Houston’s first hit as the left fielder pulled up to avoid colliding with shortstop Dansby Swanson. Alex Bregman grounded a single through the wide-open right side of a shifted infield leading off the ninth against Will Smith, who remained perfect in five save chances this postseason. Anderson threw 76 pitches, and A.J. Minter, Luke Jackson, Matzek and Smith combined for the last 57 of the 18th two-hit shutout in Series history. “Obviously you want the chance to compete, especially on the biggest stage like this is,” Anderson said. “But, yeah, I knew he wasn’t going to budge.” Snitker didn’t consider giving Anderson a chance to join the Yankees’ Don Larsen, whose perfect game in 1956 is the only Series no-hitter. “He wasn’t going to pitch a nine-inning no-hitter,” Snitker said. “He wasn’t going to have the pitches to do that.” Anderson struck out four and walked three, throwing just 39 of 76 pitches for strikes. “He was effectively wild,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “Our guys never could zero in on the strikes.
