Column: This win is made of solid Wood
When Alex Wood emerged from the visiting clubhouse at Minute Maid Park on Saturday night, he was met by a party of some of the most important people in his life.
His parents. His fiancee. His best friend.
These people shared a link other than him. Oct. 28 was a significant day in each of their lives.
Wood’s parents were engaged on this day nearly three decades ago. His fiancee was born on this day. His best friend, Chase Veazey, was paralyzed from the waist down in a car accident eight years ago.
Saturday, the date came to have personal significance for Wood as well. In future years, Oct. 28 will also be the anniversary of Wood possibly saving the the Dodgers’ season with the pitching performance of a lifetime.
“It’s hard to put into words, really, right now,” Wood said.
Wood was masterful Saturday, limiting the Houston Astros to a solitary run over 52/3 innings in the Dodgers’ 6-2 victory in Game 4 of the World Series.
A defeat and the Dodgers would have trailed the best-of-seven series, three games to one. Instead, they are tied, two games to two, with Clayton Kershaw scheduled to scale the mound for them in Game 5.
Game 6 will be played at Dodger Stadium, as would Game 7, if it’s necessary.
There was never any question Wood had the fortitude to pitch a game like this. He displayed the depth of his character in the first month of the season.
When the Dodgers broke spring training, the team’s decision makers didn’t consider Wood to be one of their five best starting pitchers. Wood told manager Dave Roberts they were making a mistake, but the decision was made. He was to start the season in the bullpen.
Wood didn’t complain. He didn’t feel sorry for himself. Instead, he competed.
By the end of April, he was in the rotation. He won his first 11 decisions and was selected to the National League All-Star team.
Wood didn’t pitch in the NL division series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. When he started Game 4 of the NL Championship Series against the Chicago Cubs, he was more than four weeks removed from his last start. Wood lasted only 4 2/3 innings, giving up three home runs in a 3-2 loss.
The Dodgers couldn’t afford for him to have another start like that. Yu Darvish recorded only five outs in his Friday night start, requiring Kenta Maeda to pitch 2 2/3 innings in the Dodgers’ Game 3 defeat.
Maeda was consequently unavailable Saturday. Another short start would have spelled disaster.
Only Wood was masterful.
“Woody set the tone for us and was just outstanding tonight,” Roberts said.
Astros starter Charlie Morton was dominant, but Wood matched him zero for zero. The right-hander started the game by serving up a single to Chris Taylor but retired the next 14 batters he faced.
Wood had a no-hitter through five innings.
“We were rolling pretty good the whole night,” Wood said.
Reliever Brandon Morrow was warming up as Wood returned to the mound for the sixth inning. Wood retired the first two batters, Marwin Gonzalez and Brian McCann.
Roberts had a decision to make.
The top of the Astros lineup was due up for the third time and the Dodgers generally don’t like hitters to have that many looks against their starting pitchers. But Wood still had a no-hitter.
Roberts kept Wood in one batter too many, it turned out.
George Springer blasted a ball over the left-field stands, moving the Astros in front 1-0. Roberts replaced Wood with Morrow.
But Roberts conceded that he entertained the thought of allowing Wood to continue.
“I thought that obviously he pitched an incredible game,” Roberts said. “Both starters tonight were lights out. Woody’s command tonight was just off the charts. I just felt that where they’re at in the order and how much he’s been used and pushed over the last month, right there, that’s all he had. And, for me, for us, that was plenty.”
Roberts was right.
The Dodgers bullpen gave up only one more hit, a ninth-inning home run by Alex Bregman against closer Kenley Jansen. By then, the Dodgers had tied the score in the seventh inning and blown the game open with a five-run ninth.
“We don’t win without Woody tonight,” outfielder Taylor said.
Wood was met outside of the clubhouse after the game by his parents, fiancee and Veazey.
He leaned over and embraced Veazey, who was in a wheelchair.
“We got that good mojo going,” Veazey said to Wood.
Wood wanted him there. Their relationship dates to when they were teammates and roommates at the University of Georgia.
There are two words tattooed on the inside of Wood’s left biceps: Second Chance. Dodgers catcher Kyle Farmer, who played and lived with them at Georgia, has a similar inscription. So does another former teammate.
They were inked up eight years ago, as a means of coping with Veazey’s accident. Now, Veazey was in Houston, watching the greatest triumph of his best friend’s professional life.
“I believe in fate, I believe everything happens for a reason,” Wood said. “I really always truly believe in God’s timing.”
It couldn’t have come at a better time for the Dodgers.
The Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2017 World Series
Follow Dylan Hernandez on Twitter @dylanohernandez
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