Houston Astros Right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. suffered an embarrassment as part of his start in Game 3 of the World Series on Tuesday night. He became the first pitcher to surrender five home runs in a World Series game. McCullers left during the fifth inning after allowing seven runs on six hits in 4 1/3 innings.
McCullers’ problems started right out of the gate. Bryce Harper (two-run shot), Alec Bohm and Brandon Marsh all hit home runs in the first two innings to give Philadelphia a 4-0 lead. Phillies First team to hit three home runs in the first two frames of a World Series game.
McCullers would settle down for a while after the second inning. He retired eight consecutive batters, leading him to the fifth. That’s when he got into more trouble. McCullers, for whatever reason, was allowed to face the lineup for the third time, surrendering a single to Marsh, then scored back-to-back runs to Kyle Schwarber and Rhys Hoskins to put the Phillies up 7-0. .
It’s worth noting that Harper raised eyebrows after his home run in the first inning, when he first called on the Fox broadcast and then delivered a message to Bohm, who then waited his turn at the plate in the on-deck circle. It’s not clear what Harper told Bohm, or whether it applied to McCullers — let alone whether he was tilting his pitches or using a predictable pitch pattern.
However, Bohm played it cool when Ken Rosenthal asked him about Harper’s comments after the game. He made it clear that the conversation would be between them.
After the game, both McCullers and manager Dusty Baker dismissed the notion that the starter was swinging pitches.
“It has nothing to do with tipping,” McCullers told reporters. Including Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. “Against me they had a good game plan and they outworked me.”
“I was scared,” he added.
Baker, meanwhile, said the team saw no reason to believe McCullers was tipping. “Sometimes, they beat you,” he said. According to Gabe Lacques of USA Today.
Whatever Harper did or didn’t say, and whatever the Phillies did or didn’t notice about McCullers’ pitching, they hit more home runs against him on Tuesday than the four he allowed in 47 2/3 regular-season innings.
