Dodgers-Astros World Series G3: In Real Life

The Astros defeated the Dodgers, 5-3, in Game 3 of the World Series presented by YouTube TV on Friday night in Houston. The Astros lead the best-of-seven series, 2-1.
• World Series Gm 4: Tonight, 7:30 p.m. ET air time | 8 ET game time on FOX
MLB.com was on the scene from Minute Maid Park.
12:08 a.m. ET: Peacock puts away Dodgers for first career save
The Dodgers may employ one of baseball's best bullpens. But while Dave Roberts spent most of Friday mixing and matching his relievers, the Astros needed just one -- Brad Peacock, who threw up zeroes for the final 3 2/3 innings of a 5-3 Astros win.
Peacock came on in relief of Lance McCullers Jr. in the sixth inning and never departed, allowing two inherited runs but nothing else. And just like that, the Astros have taken a 2-1 lead in this best-of-seven series.

10:45 p.m. ET: Dodgers chip away at deficit
Lance McCullers Jr. lasted until the top of the sixth, departing after allowing two of the three batters he faced that inning to reach base. They came around to score on a Yasiel Puig RBI groundout and a run-scoring wild pitch, both with Brad Peacock on the mound.
So things have gotten a little tighter -- and a little quieter -- at Minute Maid Park. It's now a 5-3 game and a battle of the bullpens, with more than three innings still to play.

10:10 p.m. ET: McCullers keeps LA at bay
Staked to a four-run lead, Lance McCullers Jr. immediately put it at risk when he walked the first three batters he faced in the third inning. The bullpen stirred. But McCullers has since recovered, getting through the fifth thanks in part to a diving catch by center fielder George Springer.
After inducing a double play to escape the third-inning rally with just one run against him, McCullers found his groove in the middle innings. Carlos Correa provided some stellar defense by throwing out Yasiel Puig trying to stretch a single into a double in the fourth. McCullers then allowed a one-out double to Joc Pederson in the fifth, and then a hard-hit ball to Chris Taylor with two outs. But Springer ranged to his right, diving to snare it to end the inning.
The Astros carried a 4-1 lead into the bottom of the fifth.

9:41 p.m. ET: Astros fans stylin'
Minute Maid Park isn't the only thing that's loud during Game 3. Just check out some of the wild fashion choices and costumes among the Houston faithful.

9:15 p.m. ET: Four! Yuli, Astros tee off, KO Darvish in big 2nd
If Minute Maid Park was loud before Game 3, the Astros cranked up the decibels when they chased Yu Darvish from the game with a four-run rally in the second inning.
Yuli Gurriel opened things with a homer, making him the first of five consecutive Astros to reach base against Darvish. Four of them scored. Marwin Gonzalez and Brian McCann contributed RBI singles, and Alex Bregman capped the rally with a line-drive sacrifice fly to center.
Gurriel, meanwhile, became the 12th player to homer in the first three World Series games. The record for the number of players going deep in a World Series is 13, set way back in 1953.

8:20 p.m. ET: McCullers brings heat to open Game 3
Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr. fired a 95-mph fastball to Chris Taylor and the first World Series game in Houston since 2005 -- and just the third Fall Classic game ever played in the city -- was underway.
Before Game 3, Astros players said they wanted the roof closed at Minute Maid Park to heighten the atmosphere. Their wish was granted and the effect was plain to see: The stadium is loud and boisterous, with "Let's go Astros!" chants echoing throughout it. A 2-1 series lead is at stake.
Photo: mccullers_1280

8:10 p.m. ET: Watt fires up Minute Maid
A season-ending leg injury didn't stop Houston Texans star J.J. Watt from supporting the Astros by throwing out the first pitch before Game 3. Watt has also raised more than $37 million for Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.

7:53 p.m. ET: Quite an honor
Cubs star Anthony Rizzo was honored with the 2017 Roberto Clemente Award prior to first pitch of Game 3. The award pays tribute to the late Hall of Famer's legacy, achievements and character by recognizing a Major League player who best represents the game through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions both on and off the field. More >
Rizzo, who is heavily involved in charity work for children with cancer, is the third member of the Chicago Cubs to receive the award, joining Rick Sutcliffe and Sammy Sosa.

7:17 p.m. ET: Final tune-ups
Los Angeles got in its swings as Minute Maid Park began to fill up with fans eager to take in the power display. Corey Seager, Yasiel Puig and Justin Turner didn't disappoint.

7:12 p.m. ET: The World Series, according to Orbit
Orbit joined on-air commentary during batting practice to offer an opinion on Game 3, with first pitch around one hour away. Aided by a translator, the Astros' mascot predicted the home team would win due to -- what else? -- mascot inspiration.

7:03 p.m. ET: Astronomical response
Houston's NASA base my have won the creativity battle today, but the greater-Los Angeles NASA hub won the numbers game. Not to be outdone by its witty Texas counterparts, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., crammed everyone it could into this picture to show its support for the Dodgers:

Houston might have a problem.
6:46 p.m. ET: Last-minute tweak
The Dodgers shuffled their lineup around a bit, swapping Kiké Hernández in at left field for Joc Pederson, who'll now DH.

6:22 p.m. ET: Getting into the swing of things
As the hosts for the next three games, the Astros took BP first. Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve and Brian McCann looked sharp as they loosened up and honed their swings for the first pitch, around two hours away.

6:03 p.m. ET: Game 3 turning into a Hou's Hou of Astros stars
Hall of Famer Craig Biggio, center, takes a moment to pose with National Baseball Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson, right, and vice president Jon Shestakofsky.
Photo: Biggio-1280
5:43 p.m. ET: Let's give 'em something to talk about
As Astros GM Jeff Luhnow was on the air talking Game 3 with Chris Russo prior to batting practice, Carson Riley waited eagerly to meet Astros shortstop Carlos Correa post-BP for a very special reason.
Photo: HOUgm-1280

5:15 p.m. ET: Ice, ice baby
Fans at tonight's game were treated to some cool sculptures. How long would that have lasted in Los Angeles this week?
Photo: Ice-1280
5:08 p.m. ET: Familiar face, familiar place
Former Astros ace Roy Oswalt is in the house with his family to take in Game 3. Oswalt, a three-time All-Star with Houston, pitched in the 2005 World Series against the White Sox.

4:46 p.m. ET: Roger, Dodgers
Los Angeles rolled out its Game 3 lineup, with Yu Darvish on the mound. The Dodgers opted for Logan Forsythe at second base tonight and gave Chase Utley a rest, and Enrique Hernandez will bat ninth as the team's DH.

4:38 p.m. ET: Sooooo ... does that make them Astros-nauts?
NASA really upped its game in the afternoon, with photos of its team "suited up" for Game 3. Out of this World Series, indeed.

4:28 p.m. ET: Line 'em up
The Astros were first out with their lineups, and will rely on Lance McCullers Jr. and his curve to keep the Dodgers' bats quiet. Houston is 6-0 at home this postseason, and outscored opponents at Minute Maid Park 31-7 during that time. More >
The team welcomed Evan Gattis back to the lineup as DH after losing him the first two games in Los Angeles under National League rules.

4:06 p.m. ET: Mic check
We caught up with Game 3 national anthem singer Promise Harris, who admitted to a few pregame jitters as the realization of singing at the World Series sinks in.
"I'm not truly a singer ... I just sing," said Harris, of her lack of formal voice training. "I feel like it was a gift, and I absolutely give it away as often as I can."

Harris, a Master Sergeant in the Texas Air National Guard, has performed the anthem at Minute Maid Park on numerous occasions; plenty enough for the Astros enough to earn her fandom, at least.
"I wasn't even a baseball fan before I started singing for the Astros," she said, "but I'm an Astros fan now."
3:52 p.m. ET: The roof, the roof, the roof is ... closed
With a line of storms hanging out just off the coast around first pitch and temperatures dipping into the not-quite-LA range, Minute Maid Park would rather be safe than sorry, opting to shut out the weather for now. Might be worth noting that the park isn't heated: The low in Houston tonight is expected to be a brisk 45 degrees, so even with the roof closed it could get a little chilly indoors.
3:47 p.m. ET: You heard it here hearse
It wouldn't be Halloween without a spooky chuckle, this one at the Dodgers' expense.
Photo: Hearse-1280
3:19 p.m. ET: Professional fans
Someone is riding around out there, repping the Astros in the Knight Rider car, part II:

Elsewhere in town, medical professionals and officers alike were happy to spruce up their Friday with a little orange flair:
Photo: HOUprofans-1280
Houston mayor Sylvester Turner also tossed a friendly barb to the West Coast, directed at Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti, with whom he made a lunch bet on Tuesday:

And don't think the Los Angeles Public Library was getting left out of the fun:

2:04 p.m. ET: Far out!
No pressure or anything, but NASA has joined in the World Series hype.

NASA has Johnson Space Center in Houston and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., about 10 miles outside of Los Angeles. Naturally, the two are split in their World Series predictions. With all of the excitement surrounding Game 2, it was only a matter of time before the final frontier was pulled into this Fall Classic's action.

1:21 p.m. ET: Keeping up the Clemente tradition
Astros legend Jose Cruz, Astros president of business operations Reid Ryan, Vera Clemente, wife of late Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente, and Roberto Clemente Jr. joined in as MLB and the Astros hosted a volunteer event with the Houston Food Bank on Friday. More >
Photo: HOU-foodbank-1280
The event, which also welcomed MLB executives and representatives from the Astros, will serve free meals to the Houston community, an effort held in the spirit of Roberto Clemente's humanitarian legacy. Tonight, the winner of the 2017 Roberto Clemente Award will be announced at Minute Maid Park prior to Game 3.
Photo: HOU-foodbank-2-1280
12:24 p.m. ET: Yu look familiar
Dodgers Game 3 starter Yu Darvish is no stranger to the Astros, who faced the righty often as he spent his career with the Rangers before he was acquired by Los Angeles in a Verlander-esque move minutes before the Trade Deadline in July. More >
Though he's tweaked his delivery since joining the Dodgers, Darvish has certainly handled the Astros in the past, too.

12:05 p.m. ET: Pod squad
The Morning Lineup podcast, hosted by MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince and Richard Justice, looks ahead to tonight's pivotal Game 3 as the World Series shifts to Houston. Which team benefits more from an extra day of rest and the addition of the DH? How will Minute Maid Park affect momentum? And what does this Astros squad mean to the city of Houston after Hurricane Harvey? Get the dish via Morning Lineup.
• LISTEN NOW: Morning Lineup podcast, Game 3 preview
Photo: Richard Justice and Anthony Castrovince host the Morning Lineup podcast.