Three Thoughts on Astros at Rangers, Gm 3
Houston does what they seem to do well, win at Globe Life Field
Three Thoughts on any and all playoff games for DFW’s teams is one mandatory feature of #SturmStack. In tribute to our Substack leader, the late Grant Wahl.
The Houston Astros demonstrated a show of force on Wednesday Night in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series with a 8-5 win in Arlington. They still trail Texas, 2-1 in the Best of Seven series that continues on Thursday.
These are my three thoughts:
– It had been 17 days in October since Texas last lost a game – let that sink in.
There is never a time where you wish to accept defeat with a smile, so don’t. I am sure that clubhouse is annoyed that they dropped Game 3 tonight, but you probably should tip your cap to the fine work of Astros starter Cristian Javier who did it again. El Reptil has done it many times in his young career and while he won’t get the ink that Justin Verlander or Framber Valdez will enjoy, he is certainly not to be over-looked. He was absolutely excellent as the Rangers did not get a hit until the bottom of the 5th. ESPN Stats and Info reported that “Cristian Javier has held opponents to a .071 BA through his first four career postseason starts. That's the lowest opponent BA in any 4-start span in MLB postseason history.”
Meanwhile, the Rangers hopes of Max Scherzer adding another chapter of October greatness to his book will have to wait. He was hit hard from the beginning and while his return alone is to be appreciated, it was not enough to overcome the challenge of dealing with the Astros lineup who pinned five earned on him in four innings. He will be better next time around and I would never second guess starting him when he wants the ball. But, it came up short and now the Rangers have some work to do.