Phillies reach World Series for 1st time since 2009, will face Astros

Bryce Harper slugged his fifth homer of the post-season, a two-run blast in the eighth inning that turned Citizens Bank Park into a madhouse, and the $330 million US slugger powered the Philadelphia Phillies past the San Diego Padres 4-3 on Sunday and into the World Series for the first the time since 2009.

Rhys Hoskins also hit a two-run homer to spark Philadelphia's improbable run to the National League pennant and a shot at its first World Series championship since 2008.

Harper has made the monumental feat of hitting a baseball look so easy in the post-season and he delivered with easily the biggest hit in his four-year Phillies' career.

J.T. Realmuto began the inning with a single off reliever Robert Suarez and Harper lined a 2-2, 98 mph sinker opposite field into the left field seats as another sellout crowd of 45,485 fans shook the stadium.

"I knew he was going to come with his heater," the two-time NL MVP said during a TV interview. "Just tried to take the best swing I could and was able to do damage with it."

The lefty-swinging Harper connected off a righty — the Padres had left-handed closer Josh Hader warming in the bullpen, but didn't bring him in.

Harper, who turned 30 last week, is batting 439 (18-for-41) with six doubles, five homers, 11 RBIs and 10 runs scored over 11 post-season games. He has hit in 10 straight and has reached base in 11 straight.

And the feared designated hitter can keep those streaks alive when he plays in his first World Series.

"To a certain degree, it's getting overlooked because of who he is and the star that he is," Phillies manager Rob Thomson said before the game. "He's a guy that's a big star that's delivered. Can't say enough about that."

Thomson, from Sarnia, Ont., led Philadelphia to a 65-46 record in the regular season after taking over for Joe Girardi in June, propelling the club to its first playoff berth since 2011. 

The 59-year-old is the first Canadian-born manager to lead an MLB team to the post-season.

Thomson is the first Canadian full-time manager since George Gibson of London, Ont., managed the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1934. Toronto's Arthur Irwin, who managed five teams between 1889 and 1899, is the only other Canadian to serve as a full-time manager.

Thomson had been the Phillies' bench coach since 2018 before he was promoted to interim manager on June 3. He had the interim removed from his title on Oct. 10.

Philly, get ready.

Harper, Hoskins & Crew are coming for a most improbable World Series championship.

Philadelphia finished third in the NL East at 87-75, a full 14 games behind 101-win Atlanta this season, and were the last club in the majors to make the 12-team playoff field.

After a 2-0 sweep of NL Central champion St. Louis in MLB's newly created wild-card round, the Phillies needed only four games to knock out Atlanta, the defending World Series champs.

Astros sweep Yankees in ALCS

Yordan Alvarez and Alex Bregman delivered big hits and the Houston Astros advanced to the World Series again, finishing a four-game sweep of New York in the AL Championship Series with a 6-5 victory Sunday night aided by another defensive gaffe from the Yankees.

Taking advantage of a costly error by second baseman Gleyber Torres to produce the go-ahead rally in the seventh inning, the Astros won their second consecutive pennant and fourth in six years.

Rookie shortstop Jeremy Pena hit a three-run homer off ailing Yankees starter Nestor Cortes to help the AL West champions overcome an early 3-0 deficit. Pena was picked as the ALCS MVP.

It was the first time both pennants were decided on the same day since 1992.

After losing to Atlanta in last year's World Series, Houston improved to 7-0 in this postseason, earning the fifth pennant in franchise history and another chance at its second championship.

The team's 2017 title was tainted by a cheating scandal.

With the playoffs expanded to 12 teams this year, the Phillies became the first third-place squad in baseball history to reach the World Series.

Philadelphia went 87-75 during the regular season — Bregman and the Astros finished 106-56 under manager Dusty Baker, seven games better than any other American League team.

"These are the greatest guys that I've ever been around!" Baker said during the postgame celebration on the field. "They come to play every day — all day."

The 73-year-old Baker is headed to his third World Series in 25 seasons as a major league manager, still seeking his first championship as bench boss. He did win as a player with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"It's a very exciting time for me and the organization," Baker said before the game. "These guys have come to expect winning. Winning breeds winning."

After racing to a 61-23 record in early July, AL East champion New York was no match for the Astros in October — again. Houston went 9-2 against the Yankees overall this year and has eliminated them from the playoffs four times in the past eight seasons, including in the ALCS in 2017 and 2019.

In fact, New York has lost in its last five trips to the AL Championship Series and hasn't claimed a pennant since winning its 27th World Series championship in 2009.

No. 28 has proved most elusive.

"This is as bad as it gets," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.

Yankees fail to hold on to lead

Back in the leadoff spot, Harrison Bader had three hits and scored three times for New York. He connected off winning pitcher Hector Neris for his fifth home run of these playoffs, giving the Yankees a 5-4 lead in the sixth.

They couldn't hold it when they absolutely had to.

Pena hit what should have been an inning-ending double-play ball to Torres in the seventh. But his flip to second base went wide of shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa as the crowd of 46,545 groaned, and the Astros had two on.

Alvarez singled home the tying run on the next delivery from losing pitcher Jonathan Loaisiga, and Bregman put Houston ahead with an RBI single off Clay Holmes.

It was the sixth error of this postseason for the Yankees, who also gave the Astros a pivotal gift in Game 3. Chas McCormick hit an early two-run homer off New York ace Gerrit Cole after Bader, a Gold Glove outfielder, dropped a two-out fly when he nearly collided with Aaron Judge in right-centre.

Pressly retired Judge on a comebacker for his third save of the series, sending the Astros rushing out of the dugout for ecstatic hugs and handshakes on the infield.

Moments later, a throng of orange-clad Houston fans chanted "sweep! sweep!" behind the team's third base dugout in a mostly empty Yankee Stadium.

Handed an early 3-0 lead, Cortes walked No. 9 batter Martin Maldonado to start the third and fell behind 2-1 on slumping Jose Altuve.

Something wasn't right. Boone and head athletic trainer Tim Lentych went to the mound for a quick check on Cortes, who initially remained in the game.

But he walked Altuve, marking the first time the All-Star lefty issued consecutive free passes this season. And eight pitches after the mound visit, Pena launched a 3-1 slider into the left-field seats to tie it.

Alvarez doubled off Wandy Peralta and went to third when Peralta got nailed by Kyle Tucker's line drive that went for an infield single with one out. Yuli Gurriel bounced an RBI single through an open right side to put Houston ahead 4-3, but Peralta prevented further damage.

Needing a win to extend their season, the Yankees got off to a fast start in the first inning following an 84-minute delay due to a threat of rain. Giancarlo Stanton laced an RBI single off starter Lance McCullers Jr., and Torres blooped a run-scoring single into centre.

That ended New York's scoreless streak at 14 innings. Houston had gone 19 innings without permitting an earned run.

Anthony Rizzo's two-out RBI double made it 3-0 in the second, but Stanton struck out with runners at second and third. Rizzo also delivered a two-out RBI single that tied it 4-all in the fourth.

McCullers, who closed out the Yankees with 24 straight curveballs in Game 7 of the 2017 ALCS, lasted five innings. He gave up four runs — three earned — and eight hits.