Houston Astros: Top 10 moments of the 2018 regular season

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HOUSTON, TX – JULY 10: Alex Bregman #2 of the Houston Astros (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /

#1 Bregman’s walk-offs

To be fair, the number one moment is really a series of moments that showed everyone why Bregman is truly a superstar now. This guy carried the team when the other stars in Altuve, Correa, and Springer went down with injury.

But he also had a knack for walk-off heroics. While none of these walk-off hits will be better than the single in the greatest game ever played last year, we can look back at our favorite walk-off hits and say this walk-off was the best of 2018.

The candidates include the double against the Rays. Or maybe the home run against the Blue Jays. But to the die-hard Houston Astros fan, there are two that stand out from this season.

Walk-off #1

The first came against the Padres. Strangely enough, it had the same stakes as did Game 5. The situation was bottom 10th inning, the game was tied. There were two outs and a man on second. How it ended was beyond us!

Bregman hit a popup to the first baseman, which would’ve sent the game to the 11th inning scoreless and 999/1,000 times that’s exactly what happens. Yet whether Eric Hosmer rushed and was overly excited and anxious to catch the ball, or just overran it, is debateable. Regardless, he missed an extremely easy popup.

The fact that Eric Hosmer overran that popup was surprisingly. Even more astounding was the presence of mind by Fisher to score the winning run from. At that point, one would assume that there would not be another walkoff that could top it. Then, a game against the Oakland A’s later on told us to hold their drink.

Walk-off #2

So imagine being down 5-4 in the 11th and having just tied the game. Now, it’s Bregman batting and the Astros are waiting for a big hit. What they got was something so odd, confusing, and stunning that it still boggles our minds as to how could that happen.

For starters, the ball was hit for a short distance and was expected to go foul. Then the ball stayed fair and Bregman was hustling to first while trying to avoid a tag from Jonathan Lucroy. Lucroy rushed the throw and airmailed it and hit Bregman in the helmet.

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This was truly a historic walkoff that still stands as a defining moment for the season for a few reasons. One, it was a big win against a team that would be fighting for the division later on. Two, it saved the bullpen from a loss after blowing the lead. Third, it made Bregman an icon in clutch hits, even if this one wasn’t a hit.

In a way, it’s the best walkoff of the season even if it was a strange ending. But the fact that it was by our team MVP Alex Bregman reminds everyone why this is no longer Jose Altuve and the 24 Astros.

Conclusion

Coming up with this list is difficult because in a 162-game season, there are so many moments that stand out. If the Astros were to go deep again, then there will be moments that stand out to us that would top our number one.

Next. An early look at who the Astros should/n't keep in free agency. dark

But hey, this season up to this point has been challenging and difficult. Yet, it also has been a fun and enjoyable one. So let’s see if the Houston Astros can continue this joyous season by October. Never settle boys and girls. Here’s to hoping the team can successfully defend their World Series title.

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