HOUSTON -- The Astros have a 2-1 lead in the World Series and the Dodgers have what looks like it'll be an exhausted bullpen. The Astros, meantime, are very well set up thanks to a Herculean effort from Brad Peacock in relief. 

Peacock took over with runners on second and third and one out in the top of the sixth. He would induce a groundout from Yasiel Puig before getting Chase Utley to foul out to end the inning. The two inherited runners did score, thanks in part to a wild pitch that catcher Brian McCann really should've blocked with a runner on third. We also have to give Peacock credit for not letting the bleeding continue. If he coughed up a double to Puig, the complexion of the game entirely changes. 

Peacock then worked the seventh, eighth and ninth innings, allowing only one baserunner. He wasn't squared up too much and he allowed zero hits. Even once he was extended, he was still in control, getting a strikeout, groundout back to himself and lazy fly out in the ninth to end the game. 

"I thought he threw the ball really well," said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. "He had really good fastball command. The fastball to the outer half of the plate against our left-handers was riding. He really competed. He got ahead. And we really couldn't square him up."

Funny thing, Peacock didn't even think he was going back out for the ninth. 

"It was crazy. In the eighth -- after the eighth A.J. asked if I felt good," Peacock said. "I said, 'yeah.' 'All right. You're going back out.' I'm shocked. I'm just glad he gave me the opportunity to do that. And it was a lot of fun out there, for sure."

The Astros fans on hand had some fun as well, getting to see their beloved hometown team take its first World Series lead (in terms of games won) ever. 

Beyond Peacock's big outing, look back at what I said about the Dodgers. They used most of their big arms -- albeit not Kenley Jansen, the most important one -- while the Astros used only Peacock. 

This means that, heading into Game 4, the likes of Chris Devenski, Will Harris and Ken Giles are fresh. 

Not using those three wasn't a matter of Astros manager A.J. Hinch having a lack of confidence in them, either. It was just because Peacock was cruising. 

"It's about getting 27 outs," Hinch said. "At this point if they didn't see Peacock pitching well, then they should watch the game, too. I love our bullpen, and our bullpen is going to get outs, but this is a race to 27 outs with a lead. When a guy is doing his job, there's only so much explanation I need to give."

So now Devenski, Harris and Giles are ready for Game 4. 

Behind starter Charlie Morton, who shouldn't really be counted on to get through the batting order the third time, this is a huge deal. The Astros bullpen, specifically the back-end, has been shaky this postseason, but those guys still have the stuff to get the job done. Thanks to an off-day and Peacock's Game 3 effort, they'll have all had two full days off. 

Given the Dodgers' bullpen exhaustion, it seems that the Astros have the pitching advantage in Game 4, thanks to Peacock's excellent work in Game 3 -- even when he didn't even expect to keep going.