Long time: Baker back in LCS.
Even with a big lead in the clinching game, Dusty Baker didn’t have much time to reminisce and think about previous postseasons that ended too soon or reaching his first League Championship Series in 17 years.
Reflecting on the past or getting giddy about the future can be counterproductive when there’s still a game to complete, so Baker managed Thursday’s Game 4 of the Division Series to the final out, the Khris Davis strikeout that eliminated the A’s.
Then he exhaled, shared fist bumps with his coaches, gave a few quick hugs to players and gathered his belongings before heading to the clubhouse. There’s no celebratory dogpiles in pandemic baseball, so Baker typically played it cool.
“The jubilation that I hear in the clubhouse, boy, it’s been a long, tough road,” Baker said moments after his Astros beat the A’s 116 at Dodger Stadium to clinch the
Division Series, “but we’re halfway there. I’m thankful and happy, but I’ve still got some happiness left to get.”
The maligned Astros, who cheated their way to the 2017 World Series championship and beyond, who hired Baker in January to bring order and integrity to the organization, have advanced to the next round and will be among the four remaining teams.
That leaves the championship hopes alive for Baker, the 71yearold who has had a long and distinguished baseball career but hasn’t managed a World Series champion. This is the record fifth organization Baker has managed to the postseason — just one of which reached a World Series, the Giants in 2002.
This is his first LCS since 2003, when he managed the Cubs.
“They closed a circle and got into each other,” said Baker, explaining how the Astros, perceived by many as villains for a signstealing scheme orchestrated long before Baker arrived, tried to ignore the fact they’re not fan favorites across the country. “It made them closer. They’re already a closeknit group of guys.”
The Astros won the first two games of the series before the A’s pulled out a dramatic comefrombehind victory in Game 3. On Thursday, the A’s tried to rally again, but their deficit was too large this time. The scored twice in the ninth and had two runners aboard when Ryan Pressly struck out Davis.
“They were threatening,” Baker said. “They didn’t quit. When that final out was made, you felt a great sense of relief. The guys were extremely happy, especially the young rookies who’ve never been in this situation. Some guys go their whole careers without ever feeling jubilation, the taste of a winner.”
Baker praised the A’s and his longtime friend, Bob Melvin, by saying, “We had a very formidable opponent here. You’ve got to give the A’s credit because they never quit. ... It didn’t help them losing ( Matt) Chapman, but ( Chad) Pinder had a really good series himself.”
The Astros will play the winner of the RaysYankees series in the ALCS. A 2931 team in the regular season, the Astros qualified for the playoffs by finishing second in the AL West, seven games behind the A’s, and are 51 in the postseason including a firstround sweep of the Twins.
“Better late than never,” Baker said of the Astros’ offense, which suddenly is highpowered and reminiscent of years past. “It feels good to score some runs. When you’re hitting and scoring runs, the game is exciting, and everybody’s happy.”