The first nail biter of the American League Divisional Series came, as it turns out, in the Astros win to clinch their seventh straight appearance in the American League Championship Series. Behind some incredible pitching and yet home runs from two of the most senior roster members, the Astros gritted out a 3-2 win in Minnesota beating the Twins three games to one in the ALDS.
It is yet another example of the nature of this Astros team that refuses to die no matter how they may be counted out, and proof they can still win just about any kind of game you throw at them. Here are some thoughts.
Jose Urquidy was a hero.
Despite pitching in just 63 innings all season, Dusty Baker gave Urquidy the ball in Game 4 opting for his experience over J.P. France’s consistency. It paid off. Urquidy went five-and-two-thirds innings giving up just two runs and three hits while walking one and striking out six. It was exactly the kind of grind-it-out performance the Astros needed in Game 4, particularly when their bats were relatively silent. Choosing Urquidy over France raised more than a few eyebrows, but it was reminiscent of Urquidy’s last appearance of the regular season, a six-inning shutout against the Diamondbacks. And with three days off before Sunday’s ALCS Game 1, they have plenty of time to set their rotation…thanks to Urquidy.
A good one for the old timers.
All of the scoring in this game came from the long ball for both teams. But, for the Astros, it came from two somewhat unlikely players: Jose Abreu and Michael Brantley. Although, considering this was Abreu’s third homer of the series, maybe not. Still, getting big at bats from two of their veterans was huge considering the rest of the team was pretty quiet at the plate all night. In fact, Brantley and Abreu not only accounted for all the runs but half the hits as well.
The bullpen remains absolutely stellar.
Getting to Hector Neris, Bryan Abreu and Ryan Pressly is turning into a one-two-three punch for the Astros. Neris had the one bad outing in Game 1, but otherwise, this triumvirate has become one of the most dominant groups of relievers in the game. When you consider they are backed up by Phil Maton, Rafael Montero (who has turned his entire season around), Ryne Stanek and Hunter Brown, you realize why the Astros are one of the toughest teams to beat if you can’t get to their starters. On Wednesday, they shut down the heart of the Twins order and accounted for two-and-a-third hitless innings allowing just one walk. Oh, and eight of the final 10 outs were strikeouts.
“We want Houston” again.
This sets up an all Texas matchup in the ALCS and we cannot wait. A fan at the Rangers game this week was caught sporting a “We Want Houston” sign. The last time a team did that, that team was the Yankees and their fans were greeted with a very rude awakening. Get ready Arlington residents, it’s about to be a very bumpy ALCS. Let’s get it!
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2023.
