ATLANTA -- Maybe Zack Greinke knew something when he was asked after his single in Game 4 of the World Series about possibly being the last pitcher to get a hit if Major League Baseball goes to a universal designated hitter next year.

¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± he said Saturday night.

One night later, Greinke stepped into the batter¡¯s box -- this time not as a pitcher, but a pinch-hitter, batting for fellow starter Framber Valdez in the fourth inning. And as he stood on first base for the second straight game following a single, this time a hard-hit line drive to right field, he wasn¡¯t just smiling with Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman. He was sharing a laugh.

On a night when the Astros kept their title hopes alive with help from four hits and three RBIs out of the bottom third of their batting order, part of a 9-5 win in Game 5 of the World Series, Greinke¡¯s feat was fitting.

It was also historic. Greinke became the first pitcher with a pinch-hit base hit in the playoffs since 1923, when Jack Bentley had pinch-hits in Games 1 and 4 of the World Series for the New York Giants.

It wasn¡¯t the ideal scenario for Astros manager Dusty Baker, who was hoping to get a deeper outing from Valdez. Adam Duvall¡¯s first-inning grand slam saddled the Astros with a 4-0 deficit that they erased a couple of innings later. After Freddie Freeman¡¯s third-inning solo homer promptly regained Atlanta's lead, 5-4, Baker had to ponder pinch-hitting scenarios.

Valdez lasted just 2 2/3 innings. He batted for himself once, striking out to end the second inning, but was gone by the time the pitcher¡¯s spot came back around. With one out and nobody on in the fourth, Baker had to balance putting a quality hitter to the plate with saving his full-time hitters for later, potentially higher-leverage situations.

¡°I didn't want to burn one of my other pinch-hitters,¡± Baker said, ¡°because when you're in the National League, I think they have six extra men and we only have five.¡±

Baker also lost a pinch-hitting option earlier this Series when catcher Jason Castro, a left-handed hitter and a .389 pinch-hitter in this regular season, was placed on the COVID-19 injured list. Garrett Stubbs replaced him on the roster, but he¡¯s a .182 hitter in 77 career Major League at-bats, and his only postseason appearance was as a late-game defensive replacement in last year¡¯s ALCS.

Given Baker¡¯s options, Greinke -- a .225 career hitter who was 2-for-6 as a pinch-hitter -- was appealing.

¡°Don't forget,¡± Baker said after letting him bat with the bases loaded in Game 4, ¡°Greinke is an outstanding hitter.¡±

He showed it Sunday. Greinke¡¯s line drive off a sinker from Braves right-handed reliever Jesse Chavez was actually the hardest-hit ball by an Astro in Game 5, with an exit velocity of 105.9 miles per hour according to Statcast. It was his seventh-hardest hit since Statcast began tracking in 2015, postseason included.

Greinke looked like a hitter as he rounded first base, eschewing the pitcher¡¯s warmup jacket that he donned the previous night.