Houston Astros vs Philadelphia Phillies: Early World Series preview and 3 bold predictions
By Kevin Henry
1. José Urquidy will make his debut memorable
With the Houston Astros sweeping the competition so far this postseason, it’s wild to think how the Astros haven’t even used some of their potential weapons yet. That includes pitcher José Urquidy, who has been on the sidelines throughout the postseason, but brings plenty of experience in October to the mound.
José Urquidy, who has three career World Series wins, has yet to throw a pitch in the postseason for the Astros.
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) October 24, 2022
This season, Urquidy appeared in 29 games (28 starts), going 13-8 with a 3.94 ERA/4.60 FIP/1.168 WHIP. The 27-year-old right-hander hasn’t been needed yet, but expect Dusty Baker to use him during the World Series, whether that comes in a starting role after the Fall Classic heads to Philadelphia, or in a long relief role if needed.
Urquidy pitched against the Phillies on October 3, throwing the seventh and eighth innings and allowing two runs on two hits in those two frames, with Kyle Schwarber and Bryson Stott each hammering solo shots in the eighth. However, while Philadelphia got to him in the regular season, look for Urquidy to reverse that trend and come up with some big pitches against the Phillies when he finally gets to the mound.