LOS ANGELES — Now the World Series can get really crazy.
Sure, Justin Verlander, the Astros ace, will be on the mound. He was brought to Houston to win the World Series, and he can do just that at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday night, when he faces Dodgers lefty Rich Hill in Game 6 (8:20 p.m., FOX) with the Astros holding a 3-2 lead.
This is a World Series without rules.
That was evident in the never-ending Game 5, the nerve-wracking, home-run highlight reel 13-12 victory the Astros pulled out Sunday night at Minute Maid Park in 10 innings, slugging five home runs in a World Series that already has highlights to last a decade.
The standard script would have Verlander pitching a gem Tuesday night and posing with Kate Upton on the mound afterwards. This is Hollywood, though, and all you have to do is take a peek to the right when you are standing in the Dodgers pavilion of retired numbers to see the Hollywood sign out there in the distance.
Dream big.
Scripts are rewritten in this town. You might as well expect the crazy, chaotic, twists and turns of this World Series to continue. Don’t be surprised if there is a Game 7. These teams have fought too hard, shown too much courage not to have this one go the distance, just like Rocky.
This has become Haymaker Central.
Astros manager A.J. Hinch put it all in perspective on a conference call Monday when he said of this 113th World Series, “I think anything is possible.’’
Said Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner, “It’s the clash of the titans right now. I know that everyone is excited for tomorrow. And our fans are behind us a hundred percent and no one is counting us out.’’
How can you?
There have been 22 home runs hit already, the most in any World Series. There’s been controversy with Yuli Gurriel making that racist gesture toward Yu Darvish. There’s been all the talk about “slick World Series baseballs,’’ and there has been a Cooperstown treasure trove of memorable moments — and we have not gotten to the climax yet.
That script has yet to be written.
This World Series has become baseball’s version of Indiana Jones, one cliff-hanger after another. There was that moment in Game 5 when Astros center fielder George Springer made a poor decision to dive and the ball got by him for a run-scoring triple, and the next moment he was leading off the bottom of the inning with a titanic home run.
That’s not to be confused with the home run Springer hit to win the incredible Game 2, 7-6 in 11 innings. Springer is batting .333 with a 1.297 OPS this World Series.
Game 5 featured the huge ninth-inning home run by Yasiel Puig, the dueling bullpen meltdowns, Jose Altuve’s critical three-run home run and third baseman Alex Bregman’s game-winning single, a masterpiece of hitting against the best closer in the game Kenley Jansen, so, yes, anything is possible.
Just wait until the boos come down on Gurriel. That should get Game 6 off to a rousing start.
Asked about the onslaught of home runs, ex-Yankee Brian McCann, who hit one of those Astros home runs in Game 5, said Monday, “Right now it’s two great teams going head to head. Guys are hitting good pitches. Guys are laying off tough pitches. I hadn’t really looked too deep into it as of right now.’’
This is not the time to overanalyze, it’s time to continue to produce magic.
Maybe Verlander will pitch a beauty and get that ring.
“These are the moments that you want to be a part of as a baseball player,’’ he said. “It’s everything you could ask for.’’
Same goes for this World Series, which should be renamed the Wild Series.
Get ready for another late-game affair Tuesday night and be prepared for a Game 7. Anything is possible in this wild and crazy World Series.