The Houston Astros and the words "last place" typically go hand and hand. Each year, Astros fans brace for the worst and hope for the best, which is usually just a winning season; playoffs are a far-off fantasy. The past three seasons alone they averaged 103 losses. Notorious for their losing record, and after a year of disappointment, the Astros have shocked the MLB world this year. This season ended not only the ten-year drought without a post season appearance, but also the seven-year losing season streak.
The Astros defeated the Yankees for the American League Wild Card in New York. Dallas Keuchel showed his determination, throwing six scoreless innings. The homers from Rasmus and Gomez along with the RBI from the Atros’ golden child, Jose Altuve, allowed the Astros to advance to the ALDS.
Two years ago, if someone said the Kansas City Royals and the Astros would face each other in the postseason, they would have been laughed out of the room. The Royals made their first appearance in the postseason in 29 years just last year, appearing much like the Astros this year. While the Royals were favored to win the series, the chemistry and determination of this Astros team seemed unstoppable.
The Astros won the first and third game of the series, entering the fourth game with the potential to end the series. They had a four-point lead heading into the top of the eighth. This lead was too good to be true for all Astros fans. Kansas City made a remarkable five-run rally in the top of the eighth, and the Astros couldn’t respond. Another two runs in the ninth for the Royals secured their win over the Astros, forcing game five with a final score of 9-6.
Game five of the series was an elimination game. Both teams have two wins and know their season is on the line. The Astros took an early lead, scoring two runs on a homer by Luis Valbuena. However, Kansas City had another outcome in mind: scoring seven times after the fourth inning, and holding the Astros off, Kansas City clenched its spot in the American League Championship Series.
Astros manager A.J. Hinch said it best when asked about the loss: “There's going to be 29 teams that go through what we're going through today. There's going to be one champion. So it hurts. It hurts to know that we put everything that we could into this season and it ends abruptly. Seasons like this end really quickly, and you're never ready for it. It never feels good." While the fairytale season for the Astros has come to a close this year, there are some exciting things to look forward to in the 2016 season.
Carlos Correa, the Astros shortstop, is just in his rookie season. With a fielding percentage of .967, 22 homeruns, and 68 RBI’s, he has displayed a tremendous amount of promise for the Astros. With two homeruns in game 4 alone, and an almost perfect batting average in ALDS, Carlos Correa was a key asset in the postseason for the Astros. While he made errors throughout the series, the grace and composure he demonstrated in taking responsibility for them holds a strong promise for success in the future.
Dallas Keuchel is another key player for the upcoming season. Keuchel is an unbelievable pitcher that was essential to many of the Astros wins. He won three “Pitcher of the Month” awards in the American League this season. However, with three years of service years, he will be entering arbitration and negotiations, so an extension will have to be made.
This Astros team has showed chemistry that hasn’t been seen in the Astros in a very long time. It is undeniable that these guys are out there having fun and doing what they love. It was quite a sight in the post season to see the connection throughout the team, and it gives hope to all Astros fans for this upcoming season. I'm looking forward to seeing the hard work put in this off-season, and who knows, the Astros could be World Series winners next year.
