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Here's what the ALCS has taught us about home-field advantage
Oct 19, 2021, 3:20 pm
Fenway has not been kind to the Astros. Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images.
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Panic? Not yet. Concern? Well, yeah. The Astros are down 2-1 in the American League Championship Series, which isn't a math problem as much as the way the Red Sox are hitting grand slam homers like they're playing drunk Wiffle Ball in a neighbor's backyard.
The Astros pitching is hurting. The season-long reliable starting rotation has been decimated and left asunder (awesome word). Ace Lance McCullers is on the injury shelf, and starters Framber Valdez, Luis Garcia and Jose Urquidy have barely made cameo appearances. Valdez has been the workhorse, lasting 2-2/3 innings, while Garcia survived one inning and Urquidy managed to get only four Sox batters out. The Astros have fallen behind 8-0 and 9-0 in their two losses. They need to stop doing that.
Zack Greinke, who the Astros said wouldn't start in the ALCS, will start crucial Game 4 tonight. Greinke has thrown only 12-1/3 innings in the last month while still surrendering five runs. He needs to stop doing that, too.
More troubling, if that's even possible, Astros pitching coach Brent Stromm is suggesting that Astros hurlers are tipping their pitches. Imagine how much an advantage a Red Sox batter would have if he knew what pitch was coming. Oprah's Book Club would see this as literary irony. You remember 2017, right? The Red Sox certainly do.
Astros fans didn't see lopsided scores coming, and here's another development they may not have expected.
Red Sox fans in Fenway Park have been respectful, even kind and friendly toward Astros supporters who traveled up to Boston.
Famed restaurateur Matthew George, like a hurricane chaser, has spent the 2021 season following the Astros into danger: Yankee Stadium, Dodger Stadium and Fenway Park. In biblical times, George would have cheered for Daniel in the lion's den.
"The fans in Boston have been terrific toward us. They engage with us, ask about the Astros players, what kind of season we've had. I haven't seen any trouble or heard any threats or anything over the line before, during or after the games," George said.
That surprised George. This surprised me. George said he bought his World Series ticket from the team's official website. The games in Boston were not sold out in advance by season ticket holders.
"I got online the minute tickets went on sale to the public. I bought my field box seat for Game 3, seven rows behind the Astros on deck circle for $320," he said.
George's first impression of Fenway: "it's small. The stadium shakes, you can feel your seat vibrating, when the Red Sox hit a home run. When Kyle Schwarber hit his grand slam Monday night, you really felt Fenway rock."
George said that some Astros fans hung out after the game to watch Astros players board their bus. A small group of Red Sox fans started yelling at the Astros fans but police chased the rowdies away.
George said it was a different story when he attended games at Dodger Stadium and Yankee Stadium. Fans there were rude and unruly. Of course it might have helped if George weren't wearing an Astros jersey behind enemy lines. George was the target of invective and middle finger salutes at Yankee Stadium and hot dog shrapnel at Dodger Stadium. Household hint: to remove mustard stains, pre-soak the garment with detergent and hot water, wash, let dry in sunlight.
"There's no mistaking who the fans at Fenway are rooting for, but you can tell these are true baseball fans who really know and appreciate the game. They're not there just to be seen. They clearly want the Red Sox to win, but it's cool if you're an Astros fan. I've always heard about the amazing Fenway experience and it's lived up to everything."
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NFL insiders hint at eye-opening future for Houston Texans offense
Dec 7, 2024, 2:38 pm
C.J. Stroud faced criticism in Houston's last few games as the Texans hit a rough patch after losing just two of their first eight games.
But the second-year quarterback remained confident and his strong performance last Sunday helped the Texans (8-5) to a 23-20 win over the Jaguars to enter their bye with a two-game lead atop the AFC South.
“When he is leading and playing the way he is playing, our entire team feeds off of him,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “I am excited for his second year. I think he is showing a ton of growth, he is in a really great spot for us physically, mentally. I really love where he is and I am excited to see how he comes back after the break.”
Stroud threw for 242 yards and a touchdown against Jacksonville to leave him ranked fourth in the NFL with 3,117 yards passing this season. That game came after he threw two interceptions in a 32-27 loss to Tennessee a week before for the team’s third loss in four games.
Those two interceptions brought his season total to nine, which are four more than he threw in 15 games a rookie. But the Texans aren’t worried about that statistic and believe he has grown in his second year.
“He’s made a lot of progress,” general manager Nick Caserio said. “There are some plays, like all of our players, that we probably wish he could have back, but happy he’s our quarterback, happy with what he brings to the table. ... Wouldn’t want anyone else leading this team.”
The Texans are in position to win their division for a second straight season despite dealing with several significant injuries on offense. Running back Joe Mixon missed three games early with an ankle injury and leading receiver Nico Collins was sidelined for five games with a hamstring injury.
They also lost four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs for the season when tore an ACL in Week 8.
Mixon leads the team with 887 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns and has added four touchdown receptions. His work in his first season in Houston after a trade from Cincinnati has helped the team deal with those significant injuries to the receiving corps.
Mixon ranks third in the NFL by averaging 88.7 yards rushing a game and has had at least 100 yards rushing in seven games.
Stroud has continually raved about Mixon’s contributions on and off the field.
“He’s a servant, a helper,” Stroud said. “That’s ultimately what I want to be as well. Who can I serve and how can I help? That’s ultimately what the game of football is.”
While Mixon has been the team’s most important new acquisition on offense, Danielle Hunter has been Houston’s new defensive star. The defensive end spent his first eight seasons in Minnesota before joining the Texans this year.
He has helped Houston lead the NFL with 84 tackles for loss after piling up 15 this season, which is tied for third most in the league. He also leads the Texans with 10½ sacks to help them rank second with 42.
Hunter been a great addition to a team that already had defensive end Will Anderson Jr., last year’s AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. Anderson ranks second to Hunter on the team with 13 tackles for loss and 9½ sacks.
Ryans said this week’s break is much needed for a team that opened the preseason on Aug. 1 in the Hall of Fame game.
“It’s here and we’re going to take advantage of it,” he said. “We’ve been going at it for a long time.”
The Texans need to recharge this week with a brutal stretch of three games in 10 days when they return from their bye. Houston hosts Miami on Dec. 15 before a trip to Kansas City on Dec. 21 and a visit from the Ravens on Christmas Day.
“It’s Christmas and all that, but we can’t worry about that. All we can do is focus on Miami,” Caserio said. “And then when we get through the Miami game, then we kind of turn the page to the next. ... We’re either going to earn it or we’re not. Not to oversimplify it, but that’s the truth.”
The Texans will play those game without starting linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair after he received a three-game suspension for his violent hit to the head of Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence, which led to a concussion.
Al-Shaair will be eligible to return for Houston’s regular-season finale against Tennessee.