HOW THE TURNTABLES?
Let's just say the vibe in Philly was very different for Astros, Mattress Mack in Game 4
Nov 3, 2022, 1:25 pm
The Astros made history on Wednesday night. Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images.
Feeling better?
The night after the Phillies put the Astros behind the 8 ball with a 7-0 whitewash of Houston in Game 3, the Astros bounced back in spectacular, historic fashion on Wednesday to tie the World Series at two games apiece.
The Astros returned the shutout favor in spades, no-hitting the Phillies 5-0 behind starting pitcher Cristian Javier and relievers Bryan Abreu, Rafael Montero and Ryan Pressly. The Astros scored all their runs in the fifth inning highlighted by Alex Bregman’s bases-loaded double. The Astros lockdown was the second no-hitter in World Series history, preceded only by Don Larsen’s perfect game for the Yankees in 1956.
It was such a dominant performance by the Astros that the normally raucous Philadelphia crowd was rendered speechless. In fact, it was so quiet in Citizens Bank Park that fans couldn’t even ‘nad it up to hassle Phillies public enemy No. 1, Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale.
It was a different story Tuesday night. The Phillies crushed five home runs, and put the Astros in timeout so their fans could spew their fury at McIngvale.
McInvale v. Phillies Fans became the story of the night.
While leaving the ballpark, Mattress Mack encountered some loudmouth Phils fans. One dared to call Jose Altuve the “biggest cheater ever.”
That was the clincher for Mack, a beloved folk hero and philanthropist in Houston. Saint Mack is an unapologetic Astros fan “all day long until the day I die.” Mack unleashed a X-rated torrent of swear words that would make a sailor blush.
“F-you, a--hole, f-you, f-you, a--hole!”
Whoa! Where’d that come from? A video of Mack losing his cool went viral, surprising his fans in Houston, and probably shocking the “Astros rally nuns” he supports at Minute Maid Park. The Dominican Sisters of Mary Immaculate Province will have to forgive Mack’s salty language.
Mack wasn’t backing down and for a moment it looked like it was go time. Fortunately, a few Gallery Furniture employees were on hand to hold Mack back … from most likely catching a butt whupping. I’m not a carnival worker, but Mack is 71 and weighs about 135 pounds. Pick on somebody your own size. Even Mack wouldn’t bet on his chances in a fistfight against psycho, Yuengling-sloshed, cheesesteak-stuffed Philly fans.
The next day, a reflective Mack tweeted a passage from the Holy Bible: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21.” I’m not familiar with the Epistle to the Romans, but I doubt it contains F-bombs and sphincter references.
On Wednesday, Mack gave “exclusive interviews” to every TV station, radio station, podcast and print outlet between Philadelphia and Houston to give his account of his spicy clash with Philly fans. Imagine that, Mack the center of publicity, stealing the show.
With every interview, he gave a variation of “I was told that Philadelphia fans were the worst fans ever and I still underestimated how bad they are. We were walking out and some drunk old man said to pull the jerseys off all the Astros and show their buzzers. Then he said that Jose Altuve will never make the Hall of Fame because he is the biggest cheater ever and that’s when I lost it. Talk bad about my boys and I go crazy.”
Note to Mack: Don’t take the Philly fans’ bait. Altuve doesn’t need anybody fighting his fights. You stick to selling furniture, he’ll take care of batting .300.
Mack should take Mark Twain’s advice to heart: “Never argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.”
Or as Kenny Rogers put it: “Walk away from trouble if you can. It won’t mean you’re weak if you turn the other cheek.”
Of course Mack’s uncharacteristic, profanity-laced outburst could have been triggered by the massive $15 million bet he has riding on the Astros. If the Astros take the Series, Mack will earn a $75 million haul, the largest sports bet payoff ever.
Wait … $75 mil? Forget being the Coward of Harris County, Mack should have kicked those Philly fans’ asses.
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It’s May 1, and the Astros are turning heads—but not for the reasons anyone expected. Their resurgence, driven not by stars like Yordan Alvarez or Christian Walker, but by a cast of less-heralded names, is writing a strange and telling early-season story.
Christian Walker, brought in to add middle-of-the-order thump, has yet to resemble the feared hitter he was in Arizona. Forget the narrative of a slow starter—he’s never looked like this in April. Through March and April of 2025, he’s slashing a worrying .196/.277/.355 with a .632 OPS. Compare that to the same stretch in 2024, when he posted a .283 average, .496 slug, and a robust .890 OPS, and it becomes clear: this is something more than rust. Even in 2023, his April numbers (.248/.714 OPS) looked steadier.
What’s more troubling than the overall dip is when it’s happening. Walker is faltering in the biggest moments. With runners in scoring position, he’s hitting just .143 over 33 plate appearances, including 15 strikeouts. The struggles get even more glaring with two outs—.125 average, .188 slugging, and a .451 OPS in 19 such plate appearances. In “late and close” situations, when the pressure’s highest, he’s practically disappeared: 1-for-18 with a .056 average and a .167 OPS.
His patience has waned (only 9 walks so far, compared to 20 by this time last year), and for now, his presence in the lineup feels more like a placeholder than a pillar.
The contrast couldn’t be clearer when you look at José Altuve—long the engine of this franchise—who, in 2024, delivered in the moments Walker is now missing. With two outs and runners in scoring position, Altuve hit .275 with an .888 OPS. In late and close situations, he thrived with a .314 average and .854 OPS. That kind of situational excellence is missing from this 2025 squad—but someone else may yet step into that role.
And yet—the Astros are winning. Not because of Walker, but in spite of him.
Houston’s offense, in general, hasn’t lit up the leaderboard. Their team OPS ranks 23rd (.667), their slugging 25th (.357), and they sit just 22nd in runs scored (117). They’re 26th in doubles, a rare place for a team built on gap-to-gap damage.
But where there’s been light, it hasn’t come from the usual spots. Jeremy Peña, often overshadowed in a lineup full of stars, now boasts the team’s highest OPS at .791 (Isaac Paredes is second in OPS) and is flourishing in his new role as the leadoff hitter. Peña’s balance of speed, contact, aggression, and timely power has given Houston a surprising tone-setter at the top.
Even more surprising: four Astros currently have more home runs than Yordan Alvarez.
And then there’s the pitching—Houston’s anchor. The rotation and bullpen have been elite, ranking 5th in ERA (3.23), 1st in WHIP (1.08), and 4th in batting average against (.212). In a season where offense is lagging and clutch hits are rare, the arms have made all the difference.
For now, it’s the unexpected contributors keeping Houston afloat. Peña’s emergence. A rock-solid pitching staff. Role players stepping up in quiet but crucial ways. They’re not dominating, but they’re grinding—and in a sluggish AL West, that may be enough.
Walker still has time to find his swing. He showed some signs of life against Toronto and Detroit. If he does, the Astros could become dangerous. If he doesn’t, the turnaround we’re witnessing will be credited to a new cast of unlikely faces. And maybe, that’s the story that needed to be written.
We have so much more to discuss. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
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