SPRINGER BREWER
Astros superstar George Springer brews World Series beer for Houstonians
Oct 14, 2019, 11:22 am
SPRINGER BREWER
This article originally appeared on CultureMap.
When it comes to athletes chasing championships, the standard advice is not to show too much emotion. Act like you've been there before. Be in the moment.
Definitely don't do anything as audacious as plan for a celebration. Baseball players are notoriously superstitious; participating in an activity that anticipates victory could be seen as jinxing a team.
Either nobody told George Springer those unwritten rules or he doesn't care about them. The Astros all-star right fielder has a special brew in the works if the Astros win another title.
Springer served as an "honorary brew master" at Anheuser-Busch's Houston brewery. Working with AB brew master Rich Cooper, Springer helped create a special batch of Budweiser Championship Reserve. If (when?) the Astros win the World Series, kegs of the beer will be tapped both in the Astros' locker room and at about 20 bars across the city.
Just to be clear, "Championship Reserve" uses the same recipe as regular Budweiser, but the company confirms the beer will come from the batch the World Series MVP oversaw when he visited the brewery. If nothing else, the thrill of victory should make it taste a little better.
Continue on CultureMap to find out if local breweries will get involved next year.
The Houston Astros are looking to avoid an unexpected sweep Wednesday night as they wrap up their three-game set against the Cleveland Guardians at Daikin Park.
Winners of six of their last ten despite back-to-back losses, the Astros (55-37) turn to left-hander Brandon Walter (1-1, 4.15 ERA) to steady the ship and salvage the finale. Walter has been reliable in his recent outings, and he’ll face a Guardians lineup that has struggled to string together hits, batting just .204 over their last 10 games.
Cleveland (42-48) entered the series on a 10-game losing streak, but now has a chance to sweep the AL West leaders and take the season series. Slade Cecconi (3-4, 3.56 ERA) gets the start for the Guardians. The 26-year-old righty has kept his ERA under 4.00 this year and will look to neutralize a Houston offense that leads the American League in batting average at .260 and is hitting .295 over the last 10 games.
All eyes remain on Jose Altuve, who has driven in 16 runs and slugged four homers over his last 10 games. He’s been the heartbeat of the Houston offense, while Isaac Paredes continues to deliver steady power at the top of the lineup. The Astros have scored five or more runs in eight of their last ten games, but the bullpen faltered late in both of the first two games of this series.
Cleveland counters with the steady presence of Carlos Santana and the always-dangerous Jose Ramirez. Though Ramirez is just 6-for-38 in his last 10 games, he’s delivered key home runs in the series and remains the Guardians’ biggest threat.
With the season series now 3-2 in favor of Cleveland, Wednesday’s matchup carries added weight for the Astros as they look to regroup and avoid letting momentum slip further. First pitch is set for 8:10 p.m. ET.
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -144, Guardians +121; over/under is 8 runs
Astros lineup for the finale
What stands out? First off, Jake Meyers returns to the lineup after missing a couple of games with a calf issue. With Meyers back in the two-spot, Cam Smith returns to hitting cleanup. Caratini is playing first base again and hitting fifth, followed by Yainer Diaz (C), Cooper Hummel (DH), Taylor Trammell (LF), and Mauricio Dubon (SS).
Image via: MLB.com/Screenshot.
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