Houston Astros: Top 10 Moments of the 2017 Postseason

HOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 30: Alex Bregman
HOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 30: Alex Bregman /
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HOUSTON, TX – OCTOBER 27: Jose Altuve
HOUSTON, TX – OCTOBER 27: Jose Altuve /

TOP 10:  Going from No. 10 to No. 7

  1. Gonzalez ties it off Jansen, World Series Game 2
    I know what you’re thinking. How is this only number 10? It’s a good question, considering this home run was such a crucial turning point of the series, which it was. It sent Game 2 into extras, along with a Cody Bellinger flyout in the bottom of the ninth that gave us all a minor heart attack. But at the time, in my opinion, all it did was tie the game and give the Dodgers a chance to walk it off against Giles, who was due to collapse. So, I wasn’t entirely wrong about my bitter feelings towards Giles, who did struggle in extras. I just wasn’t expecting an offense that struggled mightily on the road during the postseason to break out against one of the best bullpens in baseball. Still, this home run by Gonzalez turned out to be pretty darn important, I just didn’t fully realize it at the time.
  1. Bregman fires home, ALCS Game 7
    You could run that play back 100 times and I’m not sure Bregman is able to get Bird out on 99 of them. The throw had to be perfect, and it was better than perfect. This kept the Houston Astros’ lead at 1-0. Who knows how that game plays out if it’s a tie game instead of a lead? I may not even be writing this article. Morton had a lot of bad luck on soft contact throughout the playoffs, but this was not one of those times.
  1. Springer’s extra-inning dinger, World Series Game 2
    Back to Game 2, I’ve mentioned all of the homers by Altuve, Correa and Gonzalez, but Springer’s home run was the most significant for obvious reasons. It was the actual game-winner, in a game that had five or six other plays that we originally thought were game-winners. This also jumpstarted a historic run for Springer, who we all know was 0-for-4 with four Ks the previous day, and he ended up with the most total bases in World Series history. It also put the Houston Astros on the plane back to Houston with a 1-1 series split.
  1. Altuve’s three home runs, ALDS Game 1
    When you join a list with Babe Ruth on it, you probably belong in the top ten. Right at the beginning of the playoffs, when MVP votes are already cast but the conversation is still fresh on our mind, Altuve delivered an all-time performance. The 5-6 second baseman became the first Astro and ninth player ever to homer thrice in a postseason game, and did it for the first time since 2012. The game was already in hand by the third one, but it received the loudest ovation from the crowd nonetheless. Just one game into this playoff run, the Altuve vs. Craig Biggio discussion for best Astro second baseman ever became a very legitimate one. Now that the World Series is said and done, I think the scale tips heavily in favor of the guy NOT in the Hall of Fame, but that’s another article for another time.