Carlos Correa, Houston Astros. (Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports)
Your anger is a frustrating mess, Carlos Correa, and it’s not helping your team win
Carlos Correa may feel comfortable wearing the black hat, but that black hat is down 0-2.
The Houston Astros have dropped the first two games of their best-of-seven ALCS series vs. the Tampa Bay Rays. Houston has put across a grand total of three combined runs in these two losses. While Correa’s dinger off Pete Fairbanks could have served as a spark plug for the team offensively, Houston is facing the harsh reality its postseason experience may end in San Diego.
Something is off with the Astros’ offensive output vs the Rays.
The only three runs the Astros have scored thus far in the ALCS is a solo shot yesterday by second baseman Jose Altuve, Correa’s solo bomb and a run the Astros got across by way of a double play in the top of the ninth inning. The pitching staff has had the Astros’ number and it doesn’t help when Altuve makes mistakes throwing the ball to first base off a grounder.
Even though the Rays have a 2-0 lead in this best-of-seven series, there is no reason to trust Tampa Bay because the Astros aren’t dead until they’re dead. The Minnesota Twins had no idea how to get it done as the home team in their best-of-three AL Wild Card series. We thought the Oakland Athletics had a shot at Dodger Stadium in their best-of-five ALDS until they did not.
What gives the Rays a great chance to advance to their second World Series in franchise history is they are a well-managed team under Kevin Cash that doesn’t beat itself. They have the deep bullpen necessary to continually mess with the great hitting club that is the Astros. Simply put, the bats need to wake up for Houston if Astros want any shot of advancing yet again in October.
It’s tough to gauge who faces more pressure internally in their League Championship Series: The Astros or the Los Angeles Dodgers. Los Angeles hasn’t won a World Series since 1988 and Houston can play the “nobody believes in us” card because nobody does or cares about them. It’s only natural that frustrations occasionally blow over. Too bad they are consuming the Astros.
Houston faces a critical must-win in Game 3 or otherwise, Tampa Bay will get to the Fall Classic.