HOUSTON -- Major League Baseball and its players' union are optimistic that talks are progressing on testing for opioids following the death of Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs.

"The dialogue in this has been really positive with the players association, a lot of common ground on addressing the issue," Commissioner Rob Manfred said Wednesday before Game 2 of the World Series. "We understand that our workforce is a microcosm of society. There's a societal problem."

Skaggs was found dead in his hotel room on July 1 before the start of a series against the Texas Rangers. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office said the 27-year-old died after choking on his vomit with a toxic mix of alcohol and the painkillers fentanyl and oxycodone in his body.

Although the joint program of MLB and the players' association has testing with penalties for performance-enhancing drugs and banned stimulants, opioids are included in drugs of abuse and not subject to testing with penalties for players on 40-man rosters.

Players with minor league contracts are subject to testing with discipline for opioids.

"Tyler hit home for a number of guys that knew him and a number of guys that didn't," union head Tony Clark said. "Whether the players know of another player, they may know somebody in the family that's struggling with it. So it still hits close to home."

The joint drug agreement has a provision calling for annual updating.

HOUSTON -- Commissioner Rob Manfred said he is "really concerned" about events that led Major League Baseball to investigate the behavior of a Houston Astros employee.

According to allegations in a report published earlier this week by Sports Illustrated, during the celebration in the Astros clubhouse after the team's victory over the New York Yankees in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series on Saturday, assistant general manager Brandon Taubman turned to a group of female reporters -- including one wearing a purple domestic violence awareness bracelet -- and repeatedly yelled, "Thank God we got [Roberto] Osuna! I'm so f---ing glad we got Osuna!"

Last season, Osuna, 24, served a 75-game suspension for violating MLB's domestic violence policy stemming from an incident that happened while he was a member of the Blue Jays. In a statement released by MLB on Tuesday, the league acknowledged the SI report and said it would investigate the matter. The process is underway in Houston.

"Look, I just don't know because I haven't even had an interim report from the investigators," Manfred told reporters after a photo session for the Hank Aaron Award ceremony. "They are actually at it today. In general, it is my view that you want to be as thorough as possible. You want to get all the facts, understanding the whole situation. Once you get there, you want to get it behind you.

"I'm really concerned at this point about the underlying substance of the situation and what the atmosphere was and how it came to be. That's my focus right now."

The Astros initially called the report "misleading and completely irresponsible." Taubman has since apologized for his language but said his comments were misinterpreted. Astros manager AJ Hinch told reporters Tuesday that the incident was "unfortunate" and "uncalled for."

"We pride ourselves on providing an inclusive, harassment-free environment in all of the various aspects of our business," Manfred said. "I think it's a core value for baseball. I think we have to be tremendously concerned whenever we have an incident that has this much attention."

Regarding possible consequences from the conclusions reached by the league's investigation, Manfred said MLB would work with the Astros to determine the appropriate course of action.

"There will be a conversation with the club at the end of the investigation," Manfred said. "We'll make a decision with the club as to who should handle it. At the end of the day, he is an Astros employee."

HOUSTON -- Astros pitcher Justin Verlander broke John Smoltz's career mark for strikeouts in the postseason during the team's 12-3 Game 2 World Series loss to Washington on Wednesday night.

Verlander struck out Nationals outfielder Victor Robles in the second inning for his 200th postseason strikeout, surpassing the mark of 199 set by Smoltz, whose last career appearance in the postseason was in 2009. Smoltz was at Minute Maid Park for the game, working the national telecast for Fox.

Verlander set the mark after another rocky beginning in a World Series outing, a recurring issue for him during his accomplished career. On Wednesday, he gave up a two-run double in the first inning to Washington's Anthony Rendon.

Houston tied the game in the bottom of the inning on Alex Bregman's two-run homer. Verlander gave up Kurt Suzuki's tiebreaking homer to lead off the seventh, and the Astros' bullpen imploded after that, allowing eight runs the rest of the way.

Verlander took the loss, allowing the four runs on seven hits in six innings, striking out six and walking three. His postseason strikeout total stands at 202.

But Verlander dropped to 0-5 in World Series games, marking the first time a pitcher lost his first five decisions on baseball's biggest stage. He has a 5.73 ERA in six World Series starts.

He entered the game tied for third in career postseason wins with 14. Wednesday's game was his 30th postseason appearance.

Following Verlander and Smoltz on the postseason strikeout list is Andy Pettitte (183) and Roger Clemens (173).

HOUSTON -- It was just a few days ago when the Houston Astros opened up as the biggest World Series favorites since 2007.

Time to recalibrate those odds.

After beating Gerrit Cole in Game 1 and Justin Verlander in Game 2, the Washington Nationals are two wins away from a World Series championship, and it's clear the Astros are in big trouble. Their big guns didn't shut down the Nationals' offense, the Astros haven't really hit all postseason, manager AJ Hinch did something he hadn't done all season, and even the usually reliable Houston defense fell apart at exactly the wrong time.

The Nationals broke open a 2-2 game Wednesday with six runs in the seventh inning and then piled it on in a 12-3 victory. The 107-win Astros, looking to establish their legacy as one of baseball's best teams ever with a second World Series title in three seasons, instead played a game where they more resembled the 108-loss Baltimore Orioles.

"Clearly, the Nats have outplayed us. Bottom line," Hinch said. "They came into our building and played two really good games. We're going to have to sleep off the latter one-third of the game. I don't want to lump this into a horrible game. It was a horrible three innings. It wasn't a horrible game."

It all fell apart in a wild and weird seventh inning. Kurt Suzuki led off the frame with a home run off Verlander -- the first Hawai'ian-born player to homer in a World Series game. Verlander then walked No. 9 hitter Victor Robles and his night was done in favor of reliever Ryan Pressly.

What followed was something more out of Little League than the big leagues. Trea Turner walked. Adam Eaton sacrificed (yes, bunts still occasionally exist). Anthony Rendon, the majors' RBI leader, flew out to center field, but too shallow to score the speedy Robles.

It was then that Hinch issued his first intentional walk of the season, to Juan Soto. Not of the postseason. The entire season. And it backfired. In a big way. Worth noting: The Astros do not have a left-handed pitcher on their roster, so even though Pressly held lefties to a .124 average in the regular season, Hinch still elected to put Soto on.

After that? Happiness for the Nats, disaster for the Astros. Third baseman Alex Bregman misplayed a grounder to his left that was ruled a hit. There was soft liner to center that scored two runs. And Bregman threw away a swinging bunt single that allowed another two runs to score. After Suzuki's home run, the three run-scoring hits came on exit velocities of 83.5 mph, 75.7 mph and 62.8 mph. You can hear all the old-schoolers right now: Put the ball in play, kids!

As for Verlander, he is now 0-5 in six career World Series starts, with a 5.73 ERA. Nobody has made that many World Series starts without a win. On the night Verlander passed John Smoltz for the most strikeouts in postseason history, he once again was slow out of the gate as the Nats tagged him for two runs in the first inning. Verlander didn't pitch that poorly, but he certainly didn't have his A-game.

And now the Astros are in very big trouble. Teams that win the first two games of a best-of-seven series on the road are 23-3 for the series (including 15 sweeps). The most recent team to lose the first two at home and win the Series: the 1996 Yankees, against the Braves.

Also worth considering: The Nationals have won eight games in a row, tying a postseason record. They're good, they're hot and they're heading home.

"Lot of baseball left in this series," Bregman said. "We're going to go to Washington with our heads held high. Ready to go and get after it. We've lost two games before. I remember when we lost three in New York and next thing you know we're in the World Series in '17. We've been here before."

• Before the Nationals' big -- small? -- outburst in the seventh inning, the game's key sequence came in the bottom of the sixth. The Astros had two runners on with one out after Yuli Gurriel's double down the left-field line and an intentional walk to Yordan Alvarez. Stephen Strasburg's 106th pitch was a changeup to Carlos Correa -- you could call it a hanger, but it was inadvertently in a location where you don't usually see a changeup, up and in. Correa popped up weakly behind second base.

Rookie Kyle Tucker hit for Robinson Chirinos -- an early move for a pinch hitter, but it set up a lefty against Strasburg. Tucker fouled off two 2-2 pitches and took a high fastball, but then Strasburg dropped in a curveball at the top of the strike zone for strike three. Strasburg, not usually one to show emotion on the mound, had pumped his fist after an inning-ending strikeout in the fourth, and this time sprinted off to handshakes and hugs.

For all the hype heading into the postseason about Houston's big two and Max Scherzer, Strasburg has become the starting pitcher star of October. He's 3-0 in four starts and one relief appearance with a 1.93 ERA this postseason. Check this out: He has 40 strikeouts and two walks in 28 innings. His career postseason ERA is 1.34. When you talk about the best pitchers in the majors, don't forget about this guy -- and if the series comes back to Houston for Game 6, you have to give the starting pitcher edge to Strasburg and the Nationals.

• By the end of the game, Bregman's first-inning home run was an afterthought. He had homered in the second game of the division series against the Rays but had gone homerless in 10 playoff games since then, hitting just .182. So it wasn't necessarily a surprise when Bregman rather enjoyed his 411-foot blast to left field, sitting on a Strasburg changeup. He took 8.33 seconds to get to first base and 28.47 seconds to round the bases -- the slowest home run trot of his career and the slowest postseason trot since Manny Machado's 28.53 last year. (As a side note: Bregman's eight postseason home runs have come off of the following pitchers: Chris Sale twice, Clayton Kershaw, Kenley Jansen, Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, Blake Snell and now Strasburg. Not exactly the pitching staff of the Orioles.)

The early thought was that this would turn around Bregman's postseason. Instead, he grounded out to shortstop with two runners on to end the third, grounded out leading off the sixth and then failed to make the two defensive plays in the seventh. "He's incredibly accountable to himself and he takes a lot of responsibility for our club, for our offense. He's Alex Bregman, he wants to be perfect, he has high standards for himself," Hinch had said before the game. "So I love that. ... It's rare to see him kind of mentally frustrated, but yet if anyone is equipped to figure it out, it's Alex Bregman." The Astros need their superstar to improve.

• With the Astros' offense struggling, will Hinch be tempted to play designated hitter Alvarez in the outfield in D.C.? As much as Josh Reddick is a big zero at the plate in the postseason, Alvarez played only 66 innings in left field all season and would be a liability out there. Assuming Alvarez would play left, that would mean shifting Michael Brantley to right field, where he has played 58 innings all season. (In fact, it was the first time he had played right field in the majors in his career.) The more likely scenario: Hinch saves Alvarez for a big pinch-hitting spot for Reddick, his catchers or the pitcher.

• Anibal Sanchez will start Friday's Game 3 for the Nationals, not having pitched since his brilliant no-hit bid in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series on Oct. 11 -- meaning it will be two weeks between starts. It's not really a concern, however. He threw a simulated game during the Nationals' wait for the World Series and got up to 80 pitches. "He's had this happen before to him and it didn't seem to affect him," Washington manager Dave Martinez said before the game. "So he gets it, he's a professional, he kept himself ready. He's been engaged this whole time." The more interesting aspect is, after all, the power pitching from the four starters in the first two games, Sanchez presents a different look, with his steady diet of off-speed stuff. Martinez joked that he throws 27 different pitches. Against St. Louis, Sanchez didn't throw a lot of fastballs but got a lot of outs with his fastball -- which Cardinals hitters said after the game surprised them since he worked differently against the Dodgers. He's also much better against righties than Patrick Corbin, and Houston will presumably be without Alvarez in the lineup, leaving Brantley and Reddick as the only lefties.

CHICAGO -- The Blackhawks have placed defenseman Connor Murphy on long-term injured reserve.

Murphy hurt his groin Tuesday night in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. He has no points in six games this season.

The Blackhawks also recalled defenseman Dennis Gilbert from the minors Wednesday. Gilbert, a third-round pick in the 2015 draft, played in Chicago's season-opening loss to Philadelphia on Oct. 4.

INZAI CITY, Japan - Joining forces with a celebrity tycoon who dreams of going to the moon, the PGA Tour is committed to being in Japan for the long haul with its first tournament starting Thursday.

With the help of businessman Yusaku Maezawa, who is known for taking chances, the sport's biggest names hope to usher in a new era for golf-mad Japan at the Zozo Championship.

Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy are all here at the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) east of Tokyo at Inzai City.

''When we make a commitment to bring a new event to a market, that's a commitment that is permanent,'' PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said Wednesday. ''Our intention is to never leave Japan, to always have a PGA Tour event in Japan from this day forward.''

The Zozo Championship, co-sanctioned with the Japan Golf Tour, is one of three tournaments that make up the PGA Tour's Asia Swing. The CJ Cup in South Korea was won last week by Justin Thomas and the HSBC Champions takes place next week in Shanghai.

Tournament sponsor Zozo Inc. has drawn a great deal of attention in the relatively conservative Japanese business world.

Some in Japan have questioned the maverick approach of Zozo chief executive Maezawa, owner of the online Japanese retailer. He is known for lavish spending on artworks and buying a Stradivarius violin, and has even set his sights on a future trip to the moon. He played a round with Woods on Wednesday, and Monahan praised his ''immense contribution'' to the tournament.

Yahoo Japan Corp. announced last month it will put up a tender offer, estimated at 400 billion yen ($3.7 billion), for Zozo Inc.

For now, the golf world couldn't be happier. There's an agreement in place to hold the Zozo Championship until at least 2025.

''For an event of this magnitude to take place, we're very fortunate to have many passionate people who have helped make the Zozo Championship a reality,'' Monahan said.

Woods will be the tournament's main attraction. The Masters champion last played in an official tournament in Japan in 2006 at the Dunlop Phoenix, where he lost in a playoff to Padraig Harrington. He won the Dunlop Phoenix the two previous years.

The timing is good for tournament organizers. Woods needs one victory to reach 82 wins and tie the career record held by Sam Snead.

A late Genk strike did little to dampen Liverpool fans' mood after a complete performance saw them defeat Genk 4-1 and record a helpful three points in Belgium.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's match-winning brace got Liverpool off and running, followed by goals from Sadio Mane and the returning Mohamed Salah.

Positives

Genk struggled to deal with Andrew Robertson and Sadio Mane's strong link-up play on the left-side of midfield initially -- and James Milner's switching sides for the final half-hour proves the depth and versatility Jurgen Klopp can boast in that area.

-- Liverpool condemn 'highly offensive' Origi banner

Finally, a deeper holding role for Roberto Firmino helped a generally sound back pair of Dejan Lovren and Virgil van Dijk pick out passes we might not have previously seen Liverpool boast.

Negatives

Naturally, Klopp's side were left vulnerable defensively amid Milner and Robertson's bursts of pace down both flanks. It left them exposed, and Genk certainly should've capitalised at least once during the first half. A more established opponent might have grabbed a couple of goals here.

Manager rating out of 10

8 -- It was a solid Liverpool performance from top to tail from Klopp's men. Initial concern about the influential Salah was cast to one side when the attacking midfielder chipped in with a late assist and goal. Liverpool's 4-3-3 formation hurt a weak Genk side who stood brave against the European Champions but were simply no match.

Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best, players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)

GK Allison, 8 -- Quick thinking and accurate distribution helped Liverpool counter Genk with good effect. Made an excellent save early on when Milner and Lovren were caught napping but credit to his defenders, had little to do otherwise.

DF James Milner, 7 -- Adopted a very attacking right-back role, as did Robertson on the opposite side before he was subbed. Defensively exposed on the left side at times but a solid and versatile performance.

DF Dejan Lovren, 6 -- Gifted Genk a sight on goal when caught watching the linesman rather than playing to the whistle. Against a more clinical team would've no doubt been punished.

DF Virgil van Dijk, 7 -- Brilliant pace to cover defensive lines, calm under possession and excellent vision to pick out men up front. Always looking to create plays when possible and wasn't afraid to try his luck from range either. A player rich on confidence.

DF Andrew Robertson, 8 -- Linked up excellently with Mane on the left, and ran the flanks very well. His passes were rarely cut out and could've grabbed a goal too. Worked hard before being subbed off at the hour mark.

MF Fabinho, 7 -- A performance that could easily go under the radar, his creative link-up play with Mane was noticeable and he was unfortunate not to record an assist. Also backtracked well when he was needed. A calming performance.

MF Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, 9 -- Two fantastic match-winning finishes that no doubt delighted Klopp. Great power, excellent accuracy and confidence is evidently not in short supply. Besides that, got into great pockets of space.

MF Naby Keita, 7 -- Showed good positioning in a holding midfield role. Keita's passes were accurate and direct with Mane and Firmino often benefitting from the Guinean's vision.

FW Sadio Mane, 7 -- A performance full of pace and energy. Linked up excellently with Robertson and adapted well when he departed play. Most importantly, teamed up with Salah on his goal, which will be a welcome sight to anyone supporting the Reds. Hopefully that storyline dies here.

FW Mohamed Salah, 8 -- Much improved in the second half, he seemed caught in the wrong place at the wrong time initially, with his passing and timing just a bit off. Brilliant aft half-time and that was rewarded with a goal and an assist.

FW Roberto Firmino, 7 -- Trigger happy with his back-heels when more sensible options were perhaps available. Great movement, pressured defenders into mistakes and played a deeper role than usual which opened other options.

Substitutes

DF Joe Gomez, 6 -- Would've been disappointed to watch Genk snatch Liverpool's clean sheet away from them via a rather scrappy goal in the concluding minutes.

MF Georginio Wijnaldum, N/R -- Pushed forward when applicable and supported the in-form Salah and Mane well.

FW Divock Origi, N/R -- Held his own when the game was reaching its climax.

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