WORLD SERIES
The Astros are in the World Series, and they are the heroes Houston needs
Oct 22, 2017, 2:48 am
The hired gun, Justin Verlander, has been terrific. Elsa/Getty Images
The Astros are the sports heroes this city needs. And the heroes Houston wants.
With Saturday's Game 7 win over the Yankees, the Astros are headed to the World Series for just the second time in the history of the franchise. The Astros are 55 years old. I am 52. I have more marriages (3) than they have World Series appearances. And I did not start until I was 19.
None of that matters. The Astros beat the mighty Red Sox. The more mighty Yankees. And now they face the toughest test of all -- the even mightier Dodgers.
But in a city still recovering from Harvey, Houston needed this. Sports is the ultimate escape from reality. And the Astros are taking us on a magic carpet ride.
And they are so unique. They have an MVP who is too small to be a success. And yet he is.
They have the hired gun, Justin Verlander, who has been nothing short of amazing.
They are the bearded one, Dallas Keuchel. The superstar young shortstop, Carlos Correa. The home-run bashing George Springer.
They are talented. And they are likeable. Even with the annoying woos that Josh Reddick -- the heart and soul -- brought to the team, they are so much fun. Reddick. Carlos Beltran. Brian McCann. Despite the awful slump in New York, they came up big when they needed to do so.
And they did.
And now they are on to the World Series. The Dodgers are the best team in baseball, but bet against this group at your own risk.
The city of Houston is still recovering, and trash still sits out front of many houses. The storm displaced so many people.
The Astros were affected, too. Not just here, but in Puerto Rico. And yet they stepped up.
The next two weeks have a chance to be special. Would anyone doubt this team?
They are the sports heroes Houston wanted.
And needed.
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Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez is going on the 10-day injured list with inflammation in his right hand.
The issue had caused the three-time All-Star to miss the last two games of the Astros’ weekend series with the Chicago White Sox. The move, announced before the Astros' Monday night game at Milwaukee, is retroactive to Saturday.
Houston recalled catcher César Salazar from Triple-A Sugar Land in a corresponding move.
Alvarez, 27, has batted .210 with a .306 on-base percentage, three homers and 18 RBIs in 29 games this season. That follows a 2024 season in which he batted. 308 with a .392 on-base percentage, 35 homers and 86 RBIs in 147 games while earning a third straight All-Star Game selection and finishing ninth in the AL Most Valuable Player voting.
He has posted an OPS of at least .959 each of the past three seasons and ranked fourth in the AL in that category last year.
Salazar, 26, was hitting .197 with a .305 on-base percentage, two homers and seven RBIs in 21 games for Sugar Land. He hit .320 with a .387 on-base percentage, no homers and eight RBIs in 12 games with Houston last year.