Houston Sports: The top three must-follow storylines for fans

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CLEVELAND, OH – OCTOBER 08: George Springer #4 of the Houston Astros celebrates with teammates after defeating the Cleveland Indians 11-3 in Game Three of the American League Division Series to advance to the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field on October 8, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

Storyline #3: Not A Special Team? Cheaters?

Astro Special

Who would’ve thought that the Astros would end up playing the Cleveland Indians in a playoff series between the two previous AL champions? This was supposed to happen last year in the ALCS. But thanks to the Yankees, the Astros’ story in 2017 got better. So of course, it was only fitting that Houston’s playoff run started against Cleveland.

We knew going into the series that it was going to be tough. You had us as the defending champion against an Indians team that was the dark horse and had a chip on their shoulder. They

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won the AL Central division by a lot. But their division was the weakest of the American League. They had a great pitching staff, but ours was getting a lot of notoriety. This team came one win from winning it all in 2016 while we got the fourth win in 2017.

What’s Wrong With That?

Why wouldn’t Cleveland be pissed off by that? All they had to do was get fired up and let their play do the talking. Instead, they let their mouths get in the way.

First, it was Mike Clevinger who believed the Astros “weren’t special.”

Then, it was Trevor (excuse me…Tyler) Bauer who decided to play salty and accuse us of doctoring.

In Bauer’s defense, he didn’t necessarily accuse us directly. But the way it was perceived, you knew he was going to be a target. So even though the Astros took the regular series 4-3, this had the makings of an epic classic. It’s unfortunate none of the games were prime time. But it’s also unfortunate, at least in Cleveland, that their talk led to no play.

Same Story

The story was the same in each game. The starters would get control of the game before Houston’s offense clicked. Cleveland’s bullpen would make things worse by allowing more damage while Houston’s bullpen held firm. In the end, it was 3-0 Houston after the ALDS. It was perfect to see both Bauer and Clevinger get it handed to them.

Well more so Bauer than Clevinger because the latter pitched well. But he did get beat up. As for Bauer, I hope he continues to mature as a great pitcher and watch what he says before saying it. But in the end, for the Cleveland fans who thought they were better than the Astros in 2017 and 2018, in the words of Kevin Costner in The Untouchables, here endeth the lesson.

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Conclusion

The Astros will take on the Red Sox in the ALCS with Game 1 at Fenway Park this Saturday. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:09 p.m. CDT on TBS. Houston will be ready to take on the challenge of stepping up in terms of being one of the best sports cities. Our teams will continue to battle and make our weeks memorable in the near future. Whether we win another title or not, one thing remains certain.

This really is the Golden Age of Houston Sports. Let’s enjoy it while we can.

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