Astros live by beating Braves in Game 5

The Astros pulled out an improbable 9-5 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday in what was a microcosm of what has been their season, but more so their playoffs this year.

They had to bounce back from as much adversity as possible. By the end of the first inning they were already down 4-0 because their starting pitcher Framber Valdez had another bad outing, even allowing a grand slam.

They began to score runs little by little, until they equalized in the third inning, just minutes after going down 5-4 due to another home run allowed by Valdez. But the impassable reliever came in and little by little the Astros began to hit and produce runs with the least likely that many would have expected, such as the emerging hitter Marwin Gonzalez and the catcher Martin Maldonado.

The team’s offensive core players, Yuli Gurriel, José Altuve, Carlos Correa and Álex Bregman also got on fire with changes in the offensive lineup sent by manager Dusty Baker, and even pitcher Zack Greinke, also as a pinch hitter, connected the ball.

“That’s how this team is, you always know we’re going to fight against everything and everyone,” said Gurriel, who was moved from seventh to fifth in the lineup, before hitting three hits in five innings and producing a run.

Maldonado pushed in three runs; Gonzalez, who was added to the Astros’ playoff roster for the first time in the World Series, produced two more, as did Correa to keep the team alive heading home.

Gonzalez is averaging .176 with the lumber and eight runs produced in 14 games since signing to return to the Astros in late August after being cut by the Boston Red Sox.

“He’s got World Series experience,” manager Dusty Baker said. “So it’s not like he’s going to freak out about certain situations. That’s why we trust him.”

Situational hitting was key. Houston was unscored upon in 17 innings with men in scoring position after the first two games in Atlanta. In Game 5 they connected for five hits in 15 chances with men in scoring position and still had the luxury of leaving nine runners on base.

“Before the game we talked,” Gurriel commented. “We said we had to go step by step, shift by shift and game by game. Now the Series returns home, where starting Tuesday we have another game to win if we want to be champions.”

The relievers did a good job. In seven innings and one-third they prevented runs; they got outs in overtime situations; they struck out six and did not give away passports to hand the Braves their only home loss in eight playoff games.

“It was tough at the beginning in all aspects,” Gurriel acknowledged. “Mentally we had to overcome starting from the second inning four runs down. But we always trusted and the reliever gave us what we needed….. It stopped their bats and gave us a chance to win.”

Game 6 will be played Tuesday at Houston’s Minute Maid Park, where manager Baker said it was very likely that Luis Garcia would open for his Astros, although he also did not confirm. Mexico’s Jose Urquidy was supposed to be the next starter, but he was the second of five relievers. He threw one inning in which he allowed one hit.

The Mexican reliever earned his second win in this Fall Classic.

After two consecutive bullpen games, the Braves have yet to confirm their starter, although starter Max Fried would be in their usual rotation, after he allowed seven hits and six runs in five innings in the second game of the series.

“I’m just glad we’re going back to Houston,” Baker said. “That was our goal tonight.”