Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander (35) smiles at Houston Astros relief pitcher Rafael Montero (47) as they celebrate after Game 6 of the World Series at Minute Maid Park on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022, in Houston.
My father paid me a visit in October 2022, shortly after I had moved to the NYC region. He gave me tickets to the third and fourth ALCS games as a surprise. Since I’ve been an Astros fan since 2004, this was one of my favorite athletic events. Naturally, the Astros prevailed in both games in a very thrilling manner.
To be honest, I wouldn’t have been as happy to see the Yankees be swept if their supporters had been civil and courteous, but the most of them were really nasty.
Those memories will last a lifetime, even if the Astros never defeat the Yankees. Witnessing so many haughty and conceited New Yorkers exit the stadium will always make me sad.
This game was a breath of fresh air, after dropping two straight to the Posh Bombers the Astros bounced back to win only their second one run game of the year.
Like the preceding two games, the Astros scored in the top of the first via two home runs from the Lefties, Yordan and Jon.
Blanco took a step back this game but still managed to limit the damage. The only runs he allowed in 5.2 innings was a two run homer to Volpe in the 3rd, that kid is a stud!
His walk total was a bit high, but let’s be honest. Blanco is pitching unsustainably well right now, and if he can consistently be a 4 starter… well that’s a better outcome than anybody expected.
In the 5th inning, the Stros extended their lead to 4-2 on an RBI single from Pena. I fully expected the Astros to blow this game in the later innings, but the bullpen did their job for a change.
Abreu came in the 6th and pitched 1.1 innings; striking out 3 and not allowing a base runner.
Presley did give up an 8th inning home run to Judge, but elite players will do that sometimes.
The Astros did not extend their lead, putting considerable pressure on Closer Josh Hader.
JH gave up a single to Volpe to lead off the ninth, but he came into his own and shut the Yanks down to end the series on a high note.
Thoughts:
This was a game the Astros were built to win. The Lefties did damage, the starting pitching was solid, albeit not great, and the bullpen held a tight lead. The fact that this is one of the only games the Astros have won like this so far is frustrating.
Josh Hader has been more unlucky than anything else as his ERA predictors are actually quite good. I am not worried about him.
But I’m concerned about how the Astros pitching will start. Are we certain that Javier, Valdez, etc. can fill in even if Verlander can be a reliable MOR guy? Although Blanco is a welcome surprise, it seems doubtful that his current success will continue.
My confidence in the Astros’ long-term success decreases if they perform worse without Click or JL as their general manager. Can we trust an elderly owner and his senior scout to make wise selections in a league managed by Ivy Leaguers and Wall Street types who, a few decades ago, would be making millions in investment banking or private equity? I have to say no to the signings of Hader, Javier, and Abreu.
