Nationals crush Houston in Game 2
A sellout crowd started its exodus at 10:07 p.m, as 72 hellish hours in Houston neared an end and this World Series slipped away from its hometown team. “Deep in the Heart of Texas” blared. Stars sauntered off the field, neither big nor bright on their sport’s biggest stage. An implosion befitting of these three disastrous days was done.
Hosting the sport’s highest powers on a World Series stage, the Astros butchered almost every aspect of their three-day display inside Minute Maid Park. A top baseball operations executive remains in hot water over his so-called “overxuberance” against female reporters. His boss remains silent — save an 11-minute appearance on a rightsholder radio show. Putrid public relations has only exacerbated the already excruciating situation.
Solace was sought between the foul lines. The heaviest World Series favorite since 2007, Houston aligned its two aces for starts against a streaky team coming off a six-day layoff. The luxury would be relished by most. The Astros wasted it.
After an embarrassing, 12-3 loss to the Washington Nationals on Wednesday, the Astros are two losses from elimination. Three games in Nationals Park loom. Both Gerrit Cole and Justin Verlander are burned.
Washington scored six times in an awful seventh inning showing. Ten men came to the plate. Seven reached. A sacrifice bunt spared the Astros any additional ignominy, giving them an out they appeared unable to procure on their own.
The offense is absent, only able to apparently muster one clutch hit per playoff game. Wednesday’s was Alex Bregman’s tworun home run during the first. Bregman admired the prodigious shot for four seconds, walked up the first-base line and started his trot. Life was present in the sold out stadium, one which would have so little for which to root in the ensuing eight innings.
Houston finished the game 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. They stranded nine baserunners, prolonging an abysmal trait that’s permeated their postseason. The Astros are 17-for-87 with runners in scoring position across 13 playoff games. They afford their starters next to no margin for error.
Against elite teams, it is an unsavory recipe for success. Verlander grinded through six innings with just two runs of sup
port. First-inning issues again plagued his outing, but he steadied afterward to shove.
Verlander misfired on the game’s first four pitches, allowing Trea Turner to take first base and the sellout crowd to temper. Adam Eaton struck a single down the third-base line, putting two aboard before Verlander could catch breath. Anthony Rendon readied to face the ace.
Rendon’s presence is one of the series’ most sentimental subplots. He was born in Houston, attended Lamar High and played for Wayne Graham at Rice. Rendon shuns the spotlight and deflects most attention around him. He’d rather his play produce headlines.
He encountered Verlander after a quiet Tuesday. Rendon went only 1-for-4 with a forgotten single. Verlander raced ahead 0-2. He chose a putaway changeup. Rendon rifled it off the left field scoreboard. Two runs scored to tie the game. The Astros’ impotent offense made it seem like so much more.