Houston Astros: The Top 10 heroes of the team’s successful postseason run
#8 Josh Reddick
Even when you’re not having the best of times, you can still find ways to deliver in the moment.
Without this man, there would be no Woos. There would be no incredible defensive plays. And of course, the American speedo is not an accessory. But Josh Reddick’s presence has given the Houston Astros a sense of confidence and the ability to have fun while being one of the best teams in all of baseball.
Despite not having the best postseason in his career, Reddick was crucial to the Houston Strong mantra by delivering a hit against the Boston Red Sox in Game four of the ALDS. Leading 2-1 in the series, the Houston Astros were tied 3-3 against Craig Kimbrel. On a 3-2 pitch in front of a hostile crowd and bad weather, Reddick decided that the Woos would affect Boston.
Josh Reddick game-winning single – Gm 4 ALDS
I could say Carlos Beltran’s RBI hit in the 9th helped a lot as well because it got us to a 5-3 lead in a 5-4 win. But Reddick’s hit was bigger because, without it, we lose and go back to Houston where Dallas Keuchel starts Game five and not Verlander. So Reddick was the man in the moment for the Houston Astros. On a final thought there.
WOO!
#7 Chris Devenski
Any obstacle can be beaten. But what happens when you have to face that same obstacle in different checkpoints of your life?
We all knew that Chris Devenski was having a special season. But he too would find himself in the category of Houston Strong.
Of course, all of his moments would occur against the same batter. But first, he would endure a near disaster in the 10th inning.
So Devo gets out of the 10th. Then after giving up a solo home run in the 11th, he would face off in a duel against Yasiel Puig. Remember, Puig homered in his previous at-bat. Could he do it again?
Nope! A perfect strikeout by Devo to end a classic World Series game. In game 5, Puig got his revenge with a two-run shot to cut the lead to 12-11.
That set the stage for Game 7. Puig was up with two on and two out. The Houston Astros led 5-0. A big hit would put LA back into the game and the series could’ve shifted in their favor. But this would happen.
By handling one of the Dodgers’ best hitters, Devenski preserved a comfortable lead en route to a championship for the Houston Astros. To us, Devenski was the best setup pitcher in all of baseball this season.