The Astros are one win away from pulling off one of the greatest postseason comebacks in Major League Baseball history. After dropping the first three games of the American League Championship Series against the Rays, they have won three in a row to force a Game 7 on Saturday. The Astros will use right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. as their starter then, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic tweets. The Rays, hoping to stave off a collapse, will turn to righty Charlie Morton, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
McCullers, who debuted with the Astros in 2015, has been through the postseason wringer with the perennial contenders. He made his first playoff outing as a rookie and has since contributed 43 frames of 2.93 ERA pitching with 9.6 K/9 against 2.9 BB/9 in the postseason, including closing out the Yankees in the Astros’ 2017 ALCS victory in Game 7. As for this fall’s playoffs, the 27-year-old has tossed 11 innings of five-earned run ball, and he last took the mound for the Astros in their Game 2 loss in this series on Monday. McCullers totaled seven innings with four runs (only one earned) on four hits and no walks in that game, and he put up 11 strikeouts.
Morton got the better of McCullers in the pair’s previous matchup, during which he fired five scoreless frames. The 36-year-old Morton helped lead the Astros to a championship in 2017 with his excellent playoff performance, but he could now end their season with his current club. Not only has Morton largely been a tremendous regular-season pitcher since he broke out as an Astro during their title-winning campaign, but he has been as good or better in the fall, evidenced by his lifetime 3.16 ERA with 9.6 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 51 1/3 playoff innings. Based on the success he has had in the postseason, Morton seems well equipped to handle a do-or-die matchup.
Lost Verlander, Cole, Miley, Osuna, Will Harris, Joe Smith, Yordan Alvarez w/ like 8 rookie pitchers throwing. And they’re in the ALCS? Stamp that ticket.
That just proves that they still haven’t stopped cheating. Once a cheater, ALWAYS a cheater.
im glad we live in a country where its innocent until proven guilty. the league got rid of the guys responsible and they are under more scrutiny now, what more do you need? wouldnt they have done better then under .500 if they were cheating.
THE PLAYERS WERE INVOLVED! So the league hasn’t gotten rid of the guys responsible. There’s still someway these guys are cheating, I just know it. Shouldn’t have even been in the playoffs in the first place, just gut lucky they were placed in a crappy division. I’d kill for the Royals to be in that league, most of the teams there are consistently terrible.
No, it just proves that the “cheating” really wasn’t that helpful. Yankees cheated, but never investigated, and they are gone. Dodgers probably “cheated” and they will probably be gone. Astros lose many key players and continue to roll. They are a GREAT organization. GO STROS! Royals are an organization that are so pitiful they should be contracted. Stop whining.
These players were already great before the cheating in 2017. Get over it. Just because they are continuing to win doesn’t mean they are cheating. The league is watching the Astros closer than any other team to ensure it doesn’t happen again. But I absolutely LOVE that it bothers you that much.
The Royals would still be a 90-100 loss team in the AL West.
@puhl, not to get into a pissing contest but this is a legitimate question based on your statement: if the Astro players were already so great then why would they need to cheat to win?
Alex Rodriguez, Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield, Robinson Cano… why did all of these players need to use steroids – and why did the Yankees sign them all to try and win championships? Stop asking stupid questions. That’s why.
True: Correa, Bregman and Altuve are very much still there.
Are you nuts? The Royals won the WS just 5 years ago. They won as many championships as the Astros in the same decade and didn’t need to cheat.
No they don’t
You have to be a millennial.
They have already been proven guilty. Without punishment, why not cheat again? Just like criminals in the real world. Check for buzzers before every at bat, on the field, just to show they are still suspected. Maybe that would deter them. Isn’t it amazing how they turned it up a couple of notches for the playoffs. Astros fans will claim innocence regardless, they have no choice. Fans of the Astros are fans of cheating.
When a Yanks player admits it publicly, and it doesn’t get any play in the MM that tells you a lot. For that reason I am rooting for the Astros. Just to put a stamp on the fact that they were just better.
The Astros didn’t need to cheat. That’s why I was upset and disappointed in them. Now Dusty Baker is in charge. He was hired to stop all that mess.
The Astros were that consistently terrible team when the Rangers were winning the division every year. The Astros were at the top of the draft for over a decade. Pair that with the cheating and here we are.
Agreed. Neither did the Yanks of Sox. Very frustrating, even more so that Cora went on to more shenanigans with the Sox after the Astros.
@hersch Because they truly believed their opponents were, too.
And they may have been right. #unsealtheletter
Even cheating wouldn’t help the Royals.
LOL!!
Living rent free in that Royals head aren’t we?
Let it go on the cheating stuff already OK
I don’t think that’s going to happen. Especially when it comes to Yankee and Dodgers fans. As a lifelong ‘Stros fan, I hope Dusty Baker can take the team all the way!
Even if they complete the comeback, it doesn’t compare to what the ’04 Red Sox did to the Yankees in the ALCS. That will stand as the GPCOAT.
Sox didn’t cheat though, they just beat us. Astros on the other hand, they probably found a TV and camera lying around that big ‘ol empty stadium ………….
Don’t tear Altuve’s shirt off and deny, deny, deny……
Lol. Yes, the Red Sox have NEVER cheated. And your Yanks aren’t going to court to keep evidence sealed. Sleep well with your nonsense.
YC – why are the Yankees attorneys stopping the release of that memo that would “cause irreversible reputational harm” to the organization? Or would you rather deny, deny, deny……?
The Yankees cheated and the Red Sox cheated. Saying one thing is true does not make the other not true.
Your guy (Torres) was accused of wearing a buzzer the night before by the same guy who accused Altuve….
We know they cheated as did the Yanks. Beltran brought his Yankee ways to the Astros, who were far behind on their methods. They all cheated.
There is absolutely zero evidence that Beltran brought sign-stealing to the Yanks..I’m not saying the Yanks didn’t steal signs–I’ll go with the evidence, not the hearsay–I’m saying there’s no evidence that Beltran brought it over. As for the Yanks, the league investigation that did happen cleared them. That’s the evidence so far.
He didn’t bring it to the Yanks, from the Yanks.
Pine tar…
I would love to hear your theory on how they are cheating in a different ball park in California? Seriously dude go wipe ya face your dense ignorance is showing.
Buzzers and/or PED’s.
Forgot about that…they earned it I’ll give em that
Rays are dead set on becoming America’s second least favorite team. Someone perform the Heimlich maneuver, and quickly.
What have the rays done to deserve that title
More than the Asstros
they’re on the verge of blowing a 3-0 lead
Dodgers lose tonight or tomorrow and Astros win tomorrow would be hilarious to watch Carlos Correa make the Joe Kelley face.
TB gave the Astros a glimmer of hope and now could be in the record books with the 04 Yankees. The Astros are cheaters but they have a lot of solid players who didn’t need to cheat for that extra advantage
and yet…they still did
**do
Yankees continue to cheat but are protected by the commissioner. And they are still loaders!!! Lol lol lol.
How do you cheat in an empty park? I’m legitimately curious. I know you’re an idiot, and that’s fine, but maybe someone who is not this idiot could actually enlighten me on how’d it even be possible in pandemic baseball. Oh yeah, “buzzers” is not an answer. Unless you’re an idiot.
pc01; I don’t think there is cheating going in because of the mostly empty park factor. I want to hope I am right but maybe I am naïve. Yeah, what they did in 2017 was bad, and maybe the core of that team is still there, but I would like to think they learned a lesson. I try to be reasonable and I am kind of with you on it.
They did , but still , they are very very good
Cameras are easily hidden, the Astros can afford high tech. Add a little buzzer distribution and voila!, you go from barely making the playoffs to owning the playoffs.
…as did the Yanks, but hey, don’t let facts get in the way.
Just check the center field stand for a cardboard cutout of AJ Hinch and see if his eyes are not GoPro cameras
Rays, please, for the love of god and everything holy
I can’t help but tip my hat to the Astros at this point, they’re basically a shell of a pitching staff running on fumes with all their injuries and notable free agent losses but still on the door step of another pennant.
Even coming back from a 3-0 deficit to force a Game 7 is pretty incredible against a team that is virtually better than them in every way outside of maybe postseason experience.
The Astros lineup is ions better than the Rays. Did you see that lineup the Rays ran out against the Astros left handed starter tonight(Valdez)? It was awful. At least tomorrow they will face a right hander in McCullers but a darn good one, and better this year than Morton was. So, the Astros are much better in the hitting department, are starting the better starter, have major momentum, so minus the Rays bullpen, which has been taxed in this now long series, they hold all the major advantages. FYI. I am a Rays fan, but realistic.
Yeah the rays lineup is horrible. And Astros lineup is full of stars. So yeah you’re right lol. If the rays make the WS they might have they worst lineup a WS team has ever had. That’s how good their pitching is..
2010 Giants?
Outside of Arozarena, who in the Rays lineup would you rather have? Wendel/Rowe over Bergman? Adames over Correa? Brosseau/Lowe over Altuve? Renfroe over Tucker? Margot over Springer? I know Guirel’s been cold, but would you really be that excited to have Diaz/Cho over him? I guess you could call the C’s a wash, but who pitched better in the regular season, McCullers or Morton? The Rays bullpen is better, but in this compact ACLS, they have been taxed pretty hard.
Anything could happen. Looking forward to some exciting baseball tonight!
I got one word for you… STEROIDS!
Give me percentages: Astros chances of winning the ALCS? I like how fresh the pen will be tomorrow. McCullers is really fresh, plus Paredes, Raley, and probably Javier and Pressly if needed (since Pressly only threw like 7 pitches tonight).
Rays need Morton to shove tomorrow or else that’s it. And I will say… I don’t think that will happen. To much pressure plus the drive of the Astros make it an easier decision.
Astros chances to win the CS? 70%.
Prove em’ wrong H-town.
Watch the storyline. Astros and Dodgers make comebacks to meet in the World Series. That would be some good baseball. Would love to see it. I’d be screaming like that girl from the election meme if the Astros won though
MLB is rigged if the Astros and Dodgers both come back from steep deficits to win their games lol.
the Braves were only up 2-0 in their series with a top-heavy starting staff.
You know who they could’ve used right about now?… Lance Lynn… lol
If teams knew that there would be no off days, Lance Lynn would for sure have been traded
Technically they were up 3-1 with Fried and Anderson lined up for 2 of the last 3
If the Dodgers win all 3 that’s a pretty steep deficit to overcome.
Charlie Freakin’ Morton. Charlie. Freakin’. Morton.
Ahh…I remember those 17.1 people innings for $8mm fondly…
what sucks in hinsight is his K rate had already started to go up that season. if he stayed healthy he could have been a good trade deadline chip.
All we need now is for Bregman and Yuli to break out. Morton is tough as nails and an Astros fan favorite. Rays will show up. Going to come down to McCullers being able to locate his fastball down and away to lefties and curveball to righties.
Rays have been taxed to the max and their pitching (which has been one of their advantages over other teams) has been stretched way too thin over these few past weeks.
They need to come out strong tomorrow because it is apparent that a decent lead against Houston is still too close for comfort.
MLB needed two seven game series for revenue…
The Dodgers don’t have what it takes to force a game 7 tomorrow.
You must’ve forgot where the Braves are based. It’s definitely doable for LA.
The Rays might lose all 12 of their fans if they blow it tomorrow
They have 12???????
He’s counting the cardboard cutouts
I’m shocked to see so much Houston love. They’ve had such an easy road to here and now.
Beating all three division winners is an easy road? How so?
If the Asstros make it to the World Series and it’s not a rematch with the Dodgers to get much deserved revenge I am boycotting it. The fact that no players were punished for this year is a disgrace for the game. 100 years ago all those players on the Black Sox were locke. out of the game for good and not a single player this time was even out 1 game.
Cry me a river……….
It’s good to know that you have no respect for the game just because it’s your team. Wonder what quality person you must be in real life to root for those without integrity.
First off, you don’t know any of these players (throughout the league) and can not differentiate who has integrity and who doesn’t. To act like you would have taken some moral high ground is ridiculous.
Did you turn in people who cheated in school? Did you ever peek over on your neighbor’s paper to get an answer? If you did turn them in, would the classroom give you a standing ovation and invite you to parties and have milk and cookies?
No. You are mad because they are a talented team, they know it, and they didn’t give you a pc apology with tears streaming down their face.
They just said they would beat you again, and right now they are proving it.
Without their Cy Young pitchers at the top, I might add.
I’m pretty sure when kids were cheating in my school they weren’t adults and that cheating didn’t cost others millions of dollars.
By the way I would have more respect for you if you just were honest and said it doesn’t matter how many rules your team breaks as long as your team wins, that rules don’t matter, and the respect for the sport is stupid. But you won’t say any of that.
That cheating in school could have increased that individuals grades, which could have cost someone else a scholarship. Who knows?
And who did it cost millions of dollars? The Dodgers?
Bellinger was one of the most outspoken Dodgers, yet he hit .143 with 17 K’s in 28 AB’s. He hit .063 with only 1 hit the following WS.
Some of these guys need to look in the mirror instead of blaming others for their continuous misfortune.
Black Ace still hasn’t figured out that MLB couldn’t find any proof that they were cheating, so they had to offer immunity to get guys to admit that they cheated. If the players remained quiet they never would have been found guilty. That’s why they weren’t punished.
Cry me a river ……
“Black Ace still hasn’t figured out that MLB couldn’t find any proof that they were cheating, so they had to offer immunity to get guys to admit that they cheated. If the players remained quiet they never would have been found guilty. That’s why they weren’t punished.”
Yep, let’s give cheaters brownie points for their honesty. Those are some stand up cheaters, eh?
BTW, the assertion that the players would have been able to stay quiet and avoid being caught and punished BUT spilled the beans on everyone else as soon as they were in the clear makes it better how?
Black Ace it goes on throughout the league. Literally every single team has cheaters on the, one way or another. It says a lot about your integrity that you choose to support a team in professional sports…
Imagine judging a person based on the MLB team they root for. Get real.
Crazy. The 04 Red Sox who climbed back from 0-3 were massive roid cheats. Now Houston is on the verge of doing it.
The Yankees had more roids players.
You know, I hadn’t thought about it, but Red Sox still haven’t won a legitimate championship since 1918.
So then neither have any of the teams in that era with that logic. The 00’s have all asterisks.
Ortiz did PED’s right up until he retired. Possibly others did PED’s in the ’10’s as well. Not saying none of the Yanks did, we don’t know, because MLB sucks at testing for PED’s to this day. But we do know the ’10’s Sox who won two Series had PED users on their team. At a minimum Ortiz. Just look at his age 40 stats for proof. No fat 40-year old with horrible feet leads the league in doubles, not to mention RBIs and OPS. 40-year olds with horrendous feet don’t do that. Cruz is another example of a 40-year old PED user. History is full of examples of 40-year old sluggers. They age, they deteriorate. Anything but that is a farce of nature. An impossibility. 40-year-old players don’t play like 28-year olds. They just don’t.
Now that you mention it, it reminds me…When is David Ortiz going to let us know about what his investigator found was the reason that David tested positive for PEDs in that original sample test?
My gosh, his investigator is slow! Or is his investigator just running up the bill? It’s been years with no report from David as to why he tested positive. He promised he would let us know!
I’m not doubting Ortiz didn’t take PEDs, I’m doubting your decision to call out the Red Sox over other championship teams who would have done the same.
“The 00’s have all asterisks.”
Your comment (above). I was responding to that with the Ortiz comment, noting how it extended pas the 00’s.
That’s the greater comeback for me. This one is pale in comparison
So shouldn’t the Astros be upgraded next season despite the departure of either Springer or Brantley… or both? Alvarez will be back, Tucker will have an extended period of time under his belt, you still have Grienke, Valdez, McCullers, Urquidy, and Javier. I am curious to see what Click has in mind with this team with how much shifting will be done over the off-season. It’s definatley a story-line to watch for.
I’m not too concerned what happened in the past, the part that irks me is that they ‘made’ the playoffs with a losing record thanks to the Commissioner of baseball, it’s a farce.
Only had a losing record because they sat most of their starters for the last series against the Rangers, and had non-playoff roster guys pitch. They had already made the playoffs so they weren’t concerned with winning. If they had to above .500 to make the playoffs they would have played everyone and won at least one more game.
Not so sure about that. They kind of came out of nowhere.
Correa had 5 HR all season. He has that or more HR this postseason. Altuve had 5 HR all season. He has nearly that this postseason. How is that possible without PED’s??? They aren’t even testing for PED’s.
(Springer I can see because he’s a legit HR hitter, but Correa and Altuve? No friggin’ way.)
And Altuve and Correa hit their 5 HR’s in over 200 AB’s each. Correa has hit 6! in 51 AB’s so far this postseason. Altuve has hit 5 in 44 AB’s!!!
Not credible in the least.
How is that possible. Oh, how is it possible. Two elite hitters who have hit their entire careers are hitting home runs. How is that possible. I don’t understand how PRD’s work. It is PED’s. They are using PED’s. That’s how two elite hitters start hitting home runs.
I hope to god you are being satirical.
They’ve outperformed (Correa) or matched (Altuve) their season TOTALS in 1/4 of the AB’s. You didn’t address that. Of course. 5 HR hitters become Sultans of Swat overnight. Correa and Altuve hitting 1 HR per 9.5 AB’s. Yeah, right.
After hitting 1 HR per 40 AB’s all season long…
You’re not worth the time if you are this far gone from reality.
That would be you. You can’t address the point because you have no argument. You don’t go hitting 1 HR per 9.5 AB’s after hitting 1 HR per 40+ AB’s all season long. Not overnight. PED’s.
And that against some of the best pitchers in baseball no less. Arguably the best pitching team in the AL in TB. Suddenly two weak HR hitters become HR behemoths. Give me a break.
You do know Altuve hit 31 HR in 2019 right? I would call his power legit.
Yeah. That was THEN, this is NOW.
NOW he hit FIVE THIS YEAR. FIVE THIS YEAR. He had an off year this year. Big time.
And THEN he doubles his total seasonal output in a handful of games. Right. Brilliant. Just like he didn’t have a big off year. Maybe you’re gullible. I’m not.
The Stros were NINETEENTH in HR’s and then they set a postseason!!! SMH.
postseason record*
I’m maybe because this was a season like no other with only 60 games?!
There’s no denying they are capable players. I don’t underestimate their offense. I’m more perplexed by their pitching. I can’t see McCullers holding up.
I think it will be a close game today. Winner take all.
Saying they have a strong offense is one thing, even as a 29/31 team that was FOURTEENTH in scoring Runs. Saying they are a HR juggernaut is another. They were NINETEENTH in HR’s this seasoin. NINETEENTH. And then they set a postseason record??!! How is that possible??? Against some of the best pitchers in the league???!!! Hmmm.
Even saying they had a strong offense going into the postseason is being generous. Saying they were any kind of HR threat is downright over the top. Which makes their postseason heroics totally suspect.
Not a farce. If the same amount of games were played in 2019 the Nats would not have made the playoffs. So….as we know in baseball things have a way of averaging out over 162 game season and that’s why they added the extra spots. The Astros lost 14 1 run games that trend was not going to hold over 162 games. Some of you are such whiners. My gosh, how do you even make it through the day.
Not a farce. If the same amount of games were played in 2019 the Nats would not have made the playoffs. My gosh, how do you even make it through the day.
I want the Rays to win because I personally don’t like to see cheaters thrive in a society that refuses to hold them accountable.
But, Manfred and MLB deserve to have their product tainted even more, so an Astros win would be their karma.
3 of their last 4 champs would be jokes.
MLBWWE.
Spot on !
When u house your own media for damage control and players test negative for drugs one day then overdose and die on the road the next- it’s apparent the whole league is tainted and riddled w cheaters
I’m always amazed at how shocked everyone wants to pretend like they are
Houston will win, guaranteed
Morton better show up and shut them out. If the astros and dodgers both win, MLB rigged it. They dont want to see two young underrated teams going at it in the grandest stage. Im a phillies & angels fan but rooting for the rays to win it all, Pitching wins championships
I wouldn’t call the Ray’s underrated. They were projected to win this series from the start.
Angels suck because they aren’t clutch. Watching the Astros over the last 4 years should show your players and fans how to grind, sacrifice at bats to move runners, use analytics for defensive positioning, and most importantly perform in the clutch. Some of you need to stop blaming the Astros and start blaming your teams for playing for their own personal glory. Theres a reason the Rays, Dodgers, Braves, and Astros are there. They have players who hustle and grind out every at bat.
Fourteenth in Runs Scored (pretty much league average) and Nineteenth in HR’s (well below league average). Yeah, that’s clutch. This ISN’T the same team as 2016-2019. Those were suspect teams who performed all season long. This one is suspect only in the postseason, where it is suddenly, miraculously a HR juggernaut. Players who couldn’t hit HR’s to save their lives are suddenly HR kings. Nineteenth in HR’s and they set a HR record in like seven games!!! Puhlease. What a joke. And they shouldn’t even have been in the postseason.
You do know Altuve hit 31 HR in 2019 right? Astros have won wore games than any other team since 2017.
Comparing a player’s BEST season to his WORST… Yeah, that makes sense.
That was THEN, this is NOW.
NOW he hit FIVE THIS YEAR. FIVE THIS YEAR. He had an off year this year. Big time. Mega Big Time. Dude couldn’t hit a HR to save his life.
And THEN he doubles his total seasonal output in a handful of games. Right. Brilliant. Just like he didn’t have a big off year. Goes from 1 HR every 40+ AB’s to 1 every 9.5 AB’s. Magically.
Maybe you’re gullible. I’m not.
The Stros were NINETEENTH in HR’s and then they set a postseason record in 6 or 7 games!!! SMH.
you are insane, you realize that, right?
Speak to the argument or shut up. Fact is my argument is airtight.
LOL!
Nice job speaking to the facts. The numbers. Come up with other examples of players who hit HR’s like David Fletcher across 200+ AB’s and then hit HR’s like Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds in the postseason against many of the best pitchers in the league. I’m waiting…
Manuel Margot. now take your hands off your hips and stop lisping, then grow up Karen.
Is that a gay slur? Are you THAT childish?
your hands are still on your hips, and you are still lisping. Every player in major league baseball, without exception, would shove you in the opposing team’s locker, as a game edge.
Wouldnt it be embarrassing if houston won and is in the w.s with a losing record?….then if they do get in,what if they win it all?
Look at all these Astros fans in here defending cheaters. Maybe this is why our country is considered a laughingstock now… absolutely no morals
Not defending cheaters, defending cheaters who cheated against cheaters.
Did you read Manfred’s report? They took cheating to another level. They literally knew what pitch was coming. And unlike the Red Sox, they cheated in high stakes playoff games
Cheating is cheating. It’s just like stealing. No levels. These teams were great teams who didn’t need to cheat. Hypocrites use that argument.
You’re only defending the Astros because that’s your team. You’d be on the other side if this cheating scandal involved the Rangers or Dodgers. You’re the one being a hypocrite
If cheating is cheating with no levels, does Gaylord Perry get taken out of Cooperstown?
They are not my team. Carry on with your nonsense though.
They were all stealing signs. Lots of cheaters in the Hall with many more to come.
My point still stands. You would be on the other side if you replaced the Astros with a team you hate.
Replace them with the Yanks, who I hate, who cheated throughout the decades with roids and sign stealing. Still feel the same. I don’t think it made that much difference. Chapman has shown his weakness as the Yanks’ closer. That had nothing to do with sign stealing this year or prior.
Every team in the league had a player who was taken PEDs at one point in the early 00s. Why are you signaling out the Yankees?
LOL you said replace with a team I hate. Just playing along. The Yankees are cheaters, roids, sign stealing, etc. They are right up there with the others on that. Beltran said the Astros were way behind on cheating compared to other teams, fresh from the Yankees.
You got a link to where Beltran said that or did you make that up like everything else?
Are you joking?! It was reported everywhere. Cora and Beltran were the ringleaders. What did I make up?
It was reported Beltran got the cheating method from another team but that other team was never referenced. Beltran played with the Cardinals for many years before the Yankees
He played for them last in 2013 and then three years for the Yanks. Now tell me 2+2=5.
The report never said he got it from the Yankees. The Yankees could’ve been cheating, but I think it’s more likely he got it from the Cardinals if we’re betting which team
So the newer cheating methods he brought to the team from an old team were 4 years old? Hope you’re not a detective by profession. The king of wishful thinking perhaps?
lmao, according to you he played for the Cardinals in the dark ages of 2013. So ancient the technology was back then
So many delusional Yankee fans…
We live in the best country in the world. Funny people who hate their families, hate their neighborhood, hate their city/state/ and country wonder why they are depressed and angry. Look at yourself and fix your attitude and then work to build your neighborhood and city to show pride instead of tearing it apart.
Okay, Dr Phil
Trash-stros shouldn’t even be in the post-season, they expand playoffs in a shortened season and they were sub-.500, not to mention, should’ve been banned from playoffs altogether for a season or 2 anyways as ACTUAL punishment for CHEATING(Not that weak crap the MLB handed down) PLUS, you have the added incentive by MLB to make them ‘look good’ to lessen the cheating scandal, so they can sweep this entirely under the rug! What a Joke sports is in 2020!!! 🙁
Have you heard of the yankees circa 1996-2000s? How were they punished? Specially when 1 guy had roid rage on live tv.
I still can’t believe that the Rays are on the verge of blowing this series.
If they lose, I guess this would make coming back from a 3-0 deficit in a series a bit more normalized than it was prior to the Red Sox doing it in 2004. It will sting to be the team that blows it, but it will a tiny bit more normalized.
Gambling is taking over MLB. That’s what this feels like to me. It feels rigged. Not sure exactly how but that’s just how it feels. I mean what kind of witchcraft is going on when the depleted Astros with a losing record are able to tie a three game deficit in the ALCS against one of the better teams in the game right now? If Dipoto wouldn’t have traded Taijuan Walker and Austin Nola we would be watching the Mariners and Rays instead. Boooooo Astros! GO RAYS!⚾️
Austin Nola? I don’t think trading him away hurt the Mariners though. He’s a 30-year old catcher with limited value.
Now if they had traded away Aaron Nola (which they didn’t), that would have been a mistake.
Maybe, but he was their starting catcher for the season while Tom Murphy was out for the season. It won’t hurt them moving forward but for the season it was a setback to lose him and Taijuan Walker during a 12-4 run. Im glad the Rays ended up winning the ALCS though. I like seeing different teams in the playoffs rather than the same teams every postseason
I get the animosity by some posters against the Astros. Because basically if the Astros win it now it truly invalidates their arguments. Perhaps if they read the Manford report they would see the Astros had a losing record during 2017 when using the video system, so they disregarded it’s use and completely stopped in early 2018. Didn’t cheat at all in 2019 and would be a WS favorite if Cole hadn’t left and Verlander wasn’t injured in his first start, not to mention losing Alvarez after a handful of at bats. But rather than whine like a baby they are playing as hard as they can. Who knows if it will be enough, but you’re going to have to play well to beat them.
Because they are hitting magic HR’s. They were NINETEENTH in HR’s in the regular season, well below league average, and then they magically set a postseason record for HR’s in like seven games!!! This is a team that is proven capable of cheating. They NEED this postseason for a shot at redemption (never happen; they will not redeem themselves even if they do “win”). You think they would cheat to win this year, with redemption on the line? Of course they would. Of course they would. Heck, they ARE cheating. Clearly. The numbers don’t lie. Some things are possible. Some aren’t.
Correa and Altuve, who hit HR’s once every 40+ AB’s all season long, are hitting 9.5 and 8.5 ABs, respectively now.
Like McGwire and Bonds up there. Doesn’t happen. Not in real life.
And, again, we’re talking about Correa and Altuve playing Sultans of Swat against some of the best pitchers in baseball. TB is arguably the best pitching team in the AL. Not according to the Stros magical hitting, though. Absolutely Ruthian dudes, those guys. Hmmm.
Springer, on the contrary, went from hitting 1 HR every 13.5 AB’s in the regular season to hitting 1 HR every 13 AB’s in the postseason. Perfectly believable. Heck, I could see HIM hitting 5 or 6 HR’s (instead of 4), because he’s a legitimate slugger. You see I’m willing to acknowledge FACTS. Just not Altuve or Correa (maybe 1 or 2 HR’s each) hitting 5 and 6 HR’s. Uh-uh. Not credible.
Maybe they are just playing with a passion that the Rays lack? This is a good team, and right at this moment, you can’t say that they are cheating. You know why? Innocent before proven guilty, and they haven’t even been accused of anything this year.
They beat up on Glasnow the other day despite him not tipping his pitches anymore, they’ve gotten to the TB bullpen multiple times, and frankly worn them down. Valdez has stepped up in the big moment, and McCullers, Urquidy, Javier, and Grienke aren’t slumping either. This team has exploited the Rays strengths and pushed past their weaknesses as well.
So you know what? When I look at the Astros, I see a better team than the Rays.
Then why hasn’t it happened before? Are they the first postseason players to play with a passion, the first team to play with a passion?
Explain how two hitters go from hitting like David Fletcher for 200+ AB’s to hitting like Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds for 50 AB’s. Explain that.
Explain how a nineteenth place team become a first place team, in HR’s.
Where are the past examples?
I.m waiting…
Congratulations to Mo4ever on becoming the dumbest person on this website.
Nice job refuting the argument OfficialDipoto. Brilliant. Think that makes you the dumb one.
Look, number one you’re insane, and that’s okay, but number two, you’re posting total cringe, and that is not okay
Cringe to an Astros fan who cannot argue the numbers. C’mon give some examples of comparables, players who went from hitting like David Fletcher for 200+ AB’s to hitting like Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds for 50 ABs, all while going from hitting against a potpourri of pitchers to hitting against some of the best in the league. To hear you talk, there should be tons of examples. I’m waiting.
You. Are. A. Clown.
And clueless.
Made my point. Another guy who can’t argue the point. Go ahead, explain how they do it. Speak to the numbers. The absurd divide between the regular season and postseason numbers. The fact they went from hitting almost no HRs to hitting literally like McGwire and Bonds. Break that one down. Knock yourself out.
Magic Homers? Like jack and the beanstalk stuff? You are a joke. Those guys have hit HR’s ever since they have entered the league.
You know what is magic about this Astros team? The fact that they lost Cole and Verlander, had a least 9 ROOKIES pitching, and are still in the ALCS. That’s right, with a bunch of pitchers you’ve never heard of.
Now that’s magic, my friend. Or at least damn good scouting.
You have to go back to prior seasons to make your point. You CANNOT justify your argument on THIS SEASON.
THIS season they went from hitting like David Fletcher for 200+ AB’s to hitting like Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds.
THAT’S MAGIC.
Explain THAT.
As for the pitching staff. They are pitching against the Rays, not a particularly potent offense. The Rays win by pitching, pitching which seems to be suddenly lacking against the Stros. The long ball has been especially surprising…and devastatinig…to the Rays.
Lol so they won the World Series when they cheated, but in the years they didn’t cheat, they didn’t win. Got it
thank you so much for being sensible – astros haters are completely irrational, ahistorical, preening old ladies without a trace of self-awareness – every last one of them, on twitter, and, especially, here.
They are cheaters. Period. They deserve every single doubt to any success they have.
Dude, don’t you get it? We don’t care about your doubts, but we would like to shove everything down your throat by WINNING, tonight.
We win, you cry.
But see, we still win.
Cole Shepherd, Lrtexasman HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA shut up yall lost. go eat some d’s
Cole Shepherd They Won, YOU Cry.
go eat a D.
you ppl always bitching about altuve hitting the home run…has it ever crossed your obvious non baseball thinking minds that chapman throws 100 mph and altuve was on a 3 ball 1 strike count …gee i wonder what he will throw…hmmm maybe the knuckler..nah I’ll sit on the fastball
Yes and Chapman never gave up a home run like that again. Oh wait…
Astros should all be checked for buzzers before every at-bat.
Really need a block option on here, almost 20% of the comments are coming from one troll alone. It really sucks when people try to ruin a good product for others.