AP Sports

Update on the latest sports

MLB-WORLD SERIES
Series shifts to Atlanta tied 1-1
ATLANTA (AP) – The World Series shifts to Atlanta for Game 3 Friday after the Braves and Astros split the first two games in Houston.
Ian Anderson goes to the mound for the Braves in their first World Series home game since 1999. He’ll be opposed by Luis Garcia, the only pitcher to go eight innings in a game this postseason.
Each team has earned 7-2 victories so far. The Astros evened the Fall Classic on Wednesday as Jose Altuve (al-TOO’-vay) homered and Jose Urquidy (ur-KEE’-dee) worked five strong innings.
Game 3 will be a bit of a throwback to the days before interleague play and players frequently changing teams. None of the Atlanta Braves have faced Houston starter Garcia. The only Astros player who has hit against Braves starter Anderson is Marwin Gonzalez, who is 0 for 3.
This weekend could mark the final big league plate appearances by pitchers – except for anomalies like Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani (SHOH’-hay oh-TAH’-nee) and some rare pinch-hit appearances in extra innings. Major League Baseball and the players’ association may extend the designated hitter to the National League starting in 2022. The American League has used the DH since 1973, and both leagues used it during the 2020 pandemic-shortened season.

MLB-WORLD SERIES-RATINGS
Fox World Series Game 2 viewers up 13% from 2020 record low
ATLANTA (AP) – Houston’s 7-2 win over Atlanta in World Series Game 2 drew 10,539,000 viewers on Fox, Fox Deportes and Fox streaming apps.
Wednesday night’s game averaged a 5.8 rating, 14 share and 10,280,000 viewers on Fox, up 13% from 9,105,000 for Tampa Bay’s 6-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second game last year, which set a record low for the World Series.
Fox said Game 2 drew 186,741 streams.
The rating is the percentage of television households tuned in to a broadcast. The share is the percentage viewing a telecast among those households with TVs on at the time.