The Houston Astros were staring a 2-0 deficit in the squarely in the face, and the Dodgers had Kenley Jansen on the mound trying to close it out — but Astros utility man Marwin Gonzalez had other ideas.
This would easily qualify as the biggest moment in the career of Marwin Gonzalez. Houston needed some new life before they went back to Minute Maid Park. We here at FanSided identified Gonzalez as an x-factor that could be a reason the Astros win the Series, and he delivered in the 9th inning of Game 2.
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As John Smoltz astutely pointed out on the broadcast, this was huge for the Astros even beyond the obvious tie game. Kenley Jansen has basically been untouchable for a large part of the 2017 season, not to mention most of his career. To get the game tied off of Jansen by scoring in the 8th and the 9th is a massive momentum swing for the rest of the World Series.
For one, Jansen has had his aura of invincibility pierced just a little bit. The Astros have to feel a little more confident when Jansen enters the game. Does this change what manager Dave Roberts thinks at all? Of course, he will still let Jansen pitch. The shift could come from maybe not feeling comfortable going to Jansen in the 8th like he did tonight. That could let the Astros face an inferior pitcher during the rest of the Series.
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Game 2 hasn’t finished yet, but the Astros are showing the fight they had all season. It can be an important trait for a 100-win team that was able to coast through a good chunk of the season. When the chips are down and the stakes are highest, the Astros are still fighting.