Houston Astros: Five most devastating series in Astros history

Extr-y Extr-y Innings! – 1980 NLCS

I wasn’t alive for this one so had to watch some clips and do a little research to see what went down. And man. It went down in this series.

Though the Houston Astros franchise began in 1962, they had to slog through 18 miserable seasons, including watching the New York Mets who were founded three years after us in 1965, achieve success quickly going from expansion team laughing stock to World Series champion in four years.

But finally in 1980 we broke through with a boost in the form of Nolan Ryan who we signed in the off-season. In contrast to the powerful offensive teams the Astros of the 1990’s and 2000’s produced, the 1980’s Astros were defined by pitching in the cavernous confines of the Astrodome. And in the first year of the Ryan Express, they made their first post-season appearance in the NLCS against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Runs were tough to come by in this series. At least until the 7th inning.

And runs were tough to come by in this series. At least until the 7th inning. Then it was anything goes. The total runs scored in the first six innings of the series was 12. 7th inning and beyond. Total of 27 runs scored. The teams scored 12 runs total in the 8th inning alone.

It was five games of late rallies leading to late nights at the ball park as four out of five of these contests went to extra innings. The Astros also possessed a 2-1 lead in this best of five series, but once again, late rallies killed them.

In game four, up 2-0 going into the top of the eighth (that eighth inning again) the Phillies rallied in a similar fashion to the Royals. Three singles in a row scoring a run. A grounder up the middle that Mike Schmidt beats out scoring another run. Then a sacrifice fly that made it 3-2 Phillies. The Astros got one back in the bottom of the ninth only to fall 5-3 in the 10th.

Game five was an even worse collapse as once again, you guessed it, that eighth inning reared it’s ugly head. Nolan Ryan was on the mound going into the eighth and the Astros had a 5-2 lead. One of the best pitchers of all time known for being able to pitch extremely well, even deep into games, with a three run lead. Seems solid.

Now let me know if this sounds familiar.  Three singles to start the inning. Bases loaded. Nobody out. In the 8th. A once comfortable lead is now fragile. The Phillies end up putting a five spot on the board. But the Astros come back to tie it and send it to extra innings, only to fail in the 10th and lose to the Phillies who would go on to win the World Series.

I’m really glad I was not a sentient being at this point so I don’t have to have the painful memories that surely must have come from being oh so close and having it all swept away.