Alex Bregman, Astros Dominate Nationals in Game 4 to Even World Series 2-2

The Houston Astros tied the World Series at two games apiece with an 8-1 win over the Washington Nationals in Game 4 on Saturday in Nationals Park.

The Astros tagged Nationals southpaw Patrick Corbin for two earned runs on four hits in the first inning and doubled their score thanks to a Robinson Chirinos two-run homer in the fourth.

Houston then doubled its tally one more time in the seventh when Alex Bregman launched a grand slam inside the left field foul pole.

The Nats' best chance at a comeback occurred in the sixth when they loaded the bases for 21-year-old slugger Juan Soto with one out down 4-0. However, an RBI groundout and a Howie Kendrick strikeout ended the frame with just one run.

The Astros' win guarantees that the Fall Classic will end in Houston.

Washington will host Game 5 on Sunday before the series returns to Texas on Tuesday for Game 6. If the series isn't decided by then, Houston will be the home for a winner-take-all Game 7 on Wednesday.

Notable Performances

Astros SP Jose Urquidy: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 K, 0 BB, W

Astros C Robinson Chirinos: 2-for-5, HR, 2B, 2 RBI, R

Astros 3B Alex Bregman: 3-for-5, HR, R, 5 RBI

Astros RF Michael Brantley: 3-for-5, 2 R

Nationals SP Patrick Corbin: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, L

Nationals 3B Anthony Rendon: 2-for-4

Nationals C Yan Gomes: 1-for-4, 2B

Jose Urquidy the Hero in His World Series Debut

The Astros asked rookie pitcher Jose Urquidy to perform a Herculean task on Saturday given the circumstances.

First, he seemingly had little room for error with Corbin, the owner of 238 strikeouts and a 3.25 ERA, taking the mound for Washington.

Those numbers are impressive enough, but Corbin has done even more damage at Nationals Park with a .199 batting average against and 2.40 ERA in 16 regular-season starts.

Second, Urquidy had pitched all of 4.1 innings over two playoff appearances. He hadn't made a start since September 27.

Third, the rookie took the ball in a road environment with his team down 2-1 in the World Series and the Astros facing the possibility of a win-or-go-home Game 5 on Sunday.

But that won't happen, as Urquidy tossed five near-flawless innings, quieting the Astros bats and giving his team the momentum to cruise to the seven-run victory.

The right-hander's stuff was electric, notably sitting down Soto with a 96 mph heater, per Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle:

Joe Trezza of MLB.com noted how Urquidy increased his fastball usage Saturday, to great success:

As Kevin Burkhardt of Fox Sports noted, Urquidy posted a relatively stress-free outing, making it all the more puzzling when manager AJ Hinch pulled him after 67 pitches:

Three of his four strikeouts occurred via the fastball. His lone exception was this filthy slider to Victor Robles:

Overall, Urquidy only let one man into scoring position once over five scoreless frames, and in turn, he etched his name in baseball history, per ESPN Stats & Info:

This game felt like the turning point for the series. A Nationals win meant the Astros had to figure out how to beat co-aces Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg—and take a third game afterward.

Now the Astros hypothetically only need to topple one of them. They are also guaranteed to return home, where they finished 60-21 in the regular season. It's largely thanks to Urquidy that this series turned.

Nats' Cold Bats, Imploding Bullpen Doom Game 4

Hitting a baseball is one of the more complex and frustrating things in sports. A batter can smoke a 400-foot line drive that's caught at the wall, or they can hit a 35-foot dribbler that goes as a hit.

The variance of the game is a frustrating part of its existence, and the Nats are on the wrong end of that at a bad time.

The Nationals have scored just two runs in 18 innings since exploding for a 12-3 Game 2 win Wednesday. They've only registered 13 hits during that span, and serious threats have been few and far between.

The biggest concern is that this cold spell has not come against the Astros' two aces, Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander, who are slated to pitch Games 5 and 6. Granted, the two starting pitchers who faced the Nats in this cold stretch (Zack Greinke and Urquidy) are solid hurlers too.

But the Nationals' World Series efforts will only grow harder when facing two pitchers more than capable of striking out 10 or more batters in a contest.

Meanwhile, a bullpen that finished last in reliever ERA in Major League Baseball this season encountered struggles in the seventh inning.

After Corbin left the game following the sixth, Tanner Rainey was called in to hold the Nationals' deficit to three. The right-hander got one out but also walked two, setting the stage for Fernando Rodney to come in and put the fire out.

That decision was a puzzling one in retrospect, given that Rodney posted a 5.66 ERA this season. Jeff Passan of ESPN thought a better pitcher should have gone in his place:

Instead, a rout began after Rodney allowed another baserunner before Bregman's grand slam broke the game open.

The right-hander loaded the bases again after the home run, but Wander Suero got out of the inning.

It was too little, too late for the Nats, however, as their weakness showed. Namely, if they need to call upon relievers not named Daniel Hudson or Sean Doolittle, then the team is in danger.

The Nationals will turn to Scherzer and Strasburg in their next two games, and both men are more than capable of pitching deep into games with limited damage. But if one or both falters, the significant edge goes to the Astros as they look to win their second World Series in three years.

What's Next?

The teams will stay in Washington, D.C., for Game 5 on Sunday at 8:07 p.m. ET. Scherzer will get the ball for the Nats, and Cole will take the bump for the Astros.

Scherzer and Cole faced off in Game 1, which Washington won 5-4. Scherzer tossed five innings, striking out seven and allowing two earned runs for the win.

Cole took the loss, allowing five earned runs over seven innings and punching out six Nats. Houston had not lost a game that Cole started since July 12.