Jerome Solomon: Minute Maid Park provides needed energy.
Big blast in ninth is a reminder of the Astros’ greatest home-field advantage — talent
It isn’t the home cooking, though Torchy’s Tacos in center field might argue the point.
It isn’t the train, whose whistle works after big plays, not before.
And it isn’t the roof, despite the noise increase thanks to it being closed, no matter how gorgeous the weather is outside.
It isn’t the boisterous home crowd or its feeble attempts at the wave that still crop up every now and then. And it most certainly is not Clay Walker’s national anthem.
Those all play some part in the ambiance of Minute Maid Park, but when it comes to winning and losing baseball games, their significance is debatable.
But there is something about the Astros’ home field that gives them a decisive advantage. Talent.
The Astros have the best home record in baseball because they have the best team, the best players.
Fittingly, the best player in Astros history delivered the blow of all blows to send the Astros to the World Series.
Jose Altuve, a throwback player from a throwaway era of Astros baseball, crushed a slider from Aroldis Chapman high off the left-field wall for a walkoff homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Houston a 6-4 win over the Yankees in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series.
“That was a crazy game,” Astros owner Jim Crane said. “The crowd was going nuts. When they tied it up, that deflated us a little bit, but it didn’t take Jose long to light ’em back up.”
With the victory, the Astros eliminated the Yankees from the playoffs for the third time in five years and advanced to the World Series for the second time in three years and third time in franchise history.
Unlike the previous two trips to the World Series, Houston will have home-field advantage, with Games 1 and 2 against the Washington Nationals at Minute Maid Park on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Astros hardly played their best baseball — they tallied just six hits against the Yankees on Saturday in a bullpen game — but two of the hits were long balls.
The pennant-winning celebration was glorious, with players leaping in anticipation, waiting at home plate for the hero of the day.
“The playoff version of him is spectacular,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said of his second baseman, who is tied with teammate George Springer for the most playoff home runs in Astros history.
Altuve’s blast came minutes after the air was sucked out of the building when Astros closer Roberto Osuna gave up a two-run homer in the top of the ninth to DJ LaMahieu, tying a game the Astros had led from the first inning.
That downer turned into a setup for some Minute Maid magic by Altuve. It isn’t the field, or the building, though. It’s the players.
Michael Brantley’s and Josh Reddick’s diving grabs of sinking liners weren’t because they are familiar with the seashore paspalum turf at Minute Maid.
Yuli Gurriel’s first home run this postseason, into the Crawford Boxes, wasn’t because the
Crawford Boxes are … wait, yeah, that short porch had a little something to do with it.
But Gurriel put a great swing on a very good pitch from Chad Green and muscled it over the wall, bringing the fans to 115 decibels.
Fitting, as the Astros have muscled their way to the top of Major League Baseball.
They do it in a unique style, with flair and enthusiasm. Intelligence and grit. Modern advancements and old-school grinding.
Did I mention flair?
If you want the Astros to act like they been there before, oh, they do. They celebrated like crazy the last time and will do so the next time.
When Carlos Correa makes a charge at a bouncing ball and makes an incredible throw to first base for a double play, he likes to whoop it up.
When the Astros blast a threerun homer, as they did three times in the ALCS, it takes all they have not to do cartwheels around the bases.
And they dance.
A post-victory disco in the clubhouse. An occasional a makeshift dance floor in the dugout. They are a GIF maker’s dream.
Astros baseball is fun. Even when they’re forced to play the infuriating bullpen game, as was the case Saturday night. Houston used seven pitchers; the Yankees called on six.
Leading the Yankees 3-2 in the series, with Gerrit Cole ready to pitch a Game 7 if necessary, the Astros had New York right where they wanted ’em: At Minute Maid Park.
The orange flag-waving sellout crowd of 43,357, which included Rockets stars James Harden and Russell Westbrook, was on high alert throughout the nearly fourhour affair.
And it exploded a number of times, hitting its peak when Brantley raced in from left field to grab Aaron Hicks’ blooper and double up Aaron Judge at first.
“I don’t think I ever saw the crowd this wound up as it was tonight,” Crane said. “On their feet waving the towels the whole game. They were much more into the game than (Yankees fans) were in New York.
“I’m proud of our fans. It’s a great win for the city, a great win for the team.”
The Astros averaged almost a run more per game at home than they did on the road, hitting 19 points higher, slugging 40 points higher, and posting an on-base percentage that was 21 points higher.
The Astros have been good enough in the postseason to advance past Tampa Bay and New York, but they still have not put together much offensively. They are averaging more than two runs less per game than they did in the regular season.
That hasn’t stopped them yet. Their chase for history continues.