US: Astros defeat the Phillies in baseball World Series

The Houston Astros beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-1 in Game 6 to claim their second World Series title in six years.

After falling behind 2-1 in the best-of-seven series the Astros roared back with three straight wins, including just the second no-hitter in World Series history in Game Four.

A three-run home run by Yordan Alvarez helped secured the Houston side's victory on Saturday night.

"I just tried to stay a little calm and get a good pitch to swing at and that's what I did," Alvarez said of his third game-winning playoff homer.

"It was amazing. When I was rounding second base I felt the whole stadium moving."

Extra reason for manager and rookie to celebrate

The team's victory also means Dusty Baker captured his first World Series title as a manager.

At the end of the game, the coaching and training staff circled around Baker, jumping up and down, chanting "Dusty! Dusty! Dusty!'' in the dugout before joining the players on the field.

The 73-year-old Baker, who had been to the World Series twice before as a skipper, is the oldest championship manager.

Astro's Rookie shortstop Jeremy Pena was named the World Series most valuable player.

Pena also won a Gold Glove Award and American League Championship Series Most Valuable Player, all in his rookie season.

"This is what we dream about,'' he said.

A chance to get it right

The Astros would hope that Saturday's victory would go a long way in restoring their image from one that has been dubbed the most hated team in baseball.

The Astros won their only prior title in 2017, but many baseball fans regard that effort as a tainted crown.

A Major League Baseball (MLB) investigation revealed the team had illegally used technology to steal opposing teams' signs during their 2017 championship season. The franchise was fined $5 million and were stripped of draft picks.

lo/ar (AP, AFP, Reuters)