‘ZERO COMPLACENCY’
Astros vow to take nothing for granted as they aim to close out Philadelphia
You’re thinking 1,000 things right now.
How did Chas McCormick catch that?
Could the Astros sign Jeremy Peña to a 10-year extension?
How many innings does Crisitan Javier have left in his right arm this weekend?
I could write this 100 ways. But Justin Verlander perfectly captured the current state of the 2022 Astros late Thursday in Philadelphia after one of the team’s best Fall Classic wins in recent memory featured Verlander’s first World Series victory as a starting pitcher.
“Zero complacency. We’ve been in this situation before. You can see how quickly momentum can change in this game,” Verlander said after a 3-2 Astros win in Game 5 gave the Astros a 3-2 series lead over the Phillies entering Game 6 back in Houston on Saturday night.
Remember the Nationals. Remember the Braves. That was the echoing reminder entering this World Series, after the “better” team failed to win it all in 2019 and ’21.
Washington celebrated on the Astros’ field after winning all four 2019 Fall Classic contests in Houston — still hard to believe, isn’t it? — and taking Game 7 in the final painful innings.
Zack Greinke was pulled too early, Howie Kendrick somehow kept his season-changing home run fair, and Gerrit Cole remained stuck in the bullpen, soon putting on a (Scott) Boras Corp. hat and being overpaid by the annually disappointing New York Yankees.
Unfortunately, we can’t go back in time, switch a few things around, and make it 6-2 Astros in Game 7 of that World Series.
But zero complacency in 2022 is the perfect antidote to another 3-2 Fall Classic lead with Game 6 and 7 (if necessary) at the Astros’ roaring ballpark.
“We’re just trying to stay grounded,” said Peña, who is seemingly in his 10th major league season. “We’re going to just lock back in and play our game. Show up ready to go, ready to compete and try to close it out.”
I’m not going to start quoting Yoda … oh, what the heck. It’s the Astros’ fourth World Series in six years. Every arm is on the table, and every at-bat is mission critical.
Do or do not. There is no try. The Astros need a new trophy for a million reasons. Start with 2017*, then part of ’18 and go from there.
Houston truly needs this title. The Astros are all we’ve got right now, and after everything that’s been said since January 2020, overpowering Seattle, New York and Philadelphia in 2022 will be the perfect ending for the best era in Astros history and greatest run in Houston sports.
“It’s going to be a great, great crowd,” manager Dusty Baker said. “They’re for us. The town’s for us. Tickets are at a premium because all of a sudden now everybody wants tickets. We could probably hold a couple hundred thousand if we had room.”
Can Game 6 be moved to NRG Stadium?
These Astros were overlooked when spring training began way back in March. Carlos Correa chose someone else. Verlander was coming off two lost seasons. Peña was a huge question mark. Joe Maddon was on the verge of insisting that the Los Angeles Angels weren’t that far behind the Astros.
James Click, Baker and Co. answered another year of outside nonsense and noise by dominating the American League West, blowing past the Yankees in the regular season, sweeping the Mariners with 18 innings of history, then destroying the pitiful Yanks in the emptied-out Bronx.
Even when the Phillies slugged back to take Game 1 and the constantly homering Phillies blew out the Astros in Game 3, more instant magic followed.
The second no-hitter in World Series history.
Verlander’s first Fall Classic victory.
The Astros winning two of three in a bummed-out Citizens Bank Park and returning home to place the ball back in Framber Valdez’s meditative hand.
“It’s tough. But you know something? You’ve got to keep on trucking, and that gives you even more incentive next year,” Baker said on Nov. 2, 2021, after the Braves mirrored the Nationals and celebrated a world title on the Astros’ field. “It’s tough to take now, but this too shall pass. I mean, it really hurts. But it’s over.”
Finish this World Series the right way, Astros.
For the 2017 and ’18 teams that were so good they didn’t need to cheat. For the 107-win club in ’19 that fell a few innings short, and for last year’s team that didn’t have Lance McCullers Jr. or Verlander in late October and ran out of pitching at the worst time.
“We’re going back home just needing to win one game,” Valdez said through an interpreter. “Hopefully with God on our side, we’ll be able to win that game.”
Whatever it takes, Astros. Win your first World Series in Houston.
Inside Minute Maid Park. Before the fans that have always believed in you and the orange-and-blue home that has always backed you.
Then spend the next five months proudly celebrating a shining world championship that was captured in 2022 with zero complacency.