RAISE A GLASS TO THE STROS
Astros and Houston brewery host official Game 3 and 4 watch parties this week
Oct 10, 2023, 10:50 am
Head to Karbach for the official Astros watch party! Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images.
How latest Astros series further confirms MLB actually got something right
Real fans know that there's no reason to panic after the Houston Astros fell 6-2 ALDS playoff game loss to the Minnesota Twins on Sunday, October (the only thing that stung was former Astro Carlos Correa driving in three runs).
History shows that we can bounce back to our Game 1 form, where Justin Verlander and our boys dropped the Twins 6-4 on Saturday, October 7. Let Yordan Alvarez go yard, let Alex Bregman blast some Breggy Bombs, and we're back in business.
Now, as the Stros travel to Minnesota for Game 3 and Game 4, locals can scream for our men in orange and blue at restaurants and bars across the city — check out CultureMap food editor Eric Sandler's list of food and drink deals here.
A quick time out for the Ultimate Sports Bar Showdown
As sports fans know, CultureMap and SportsMap are teaming up to celebrate the return of the fall sports season with The Tailgate, our all-out party devoted to everything sports. It’s happening Wednesday, October 25 at Silver Street Studios, and tickets are already on sale.
For The Tailgate’s second year, we’re inviting CultureMap and SportsMap readers to vote for Houston’s best sports bar in our Ultimate Sports Bar Showdown. Our panel of editors and other local experts has compiled a roster of 16 local favorites with an array of different strengths. Some are owned by professional athletes, while others are part of local or national chains.
Some are big enough to accommodate hundreds of people at a time, while others are more intimate. Regardless of the specifics, they all offer a lively atmosphere for rooting on all of our favorite teams.
Rather than a head-to-head, bracket-style tournament, we’re inviting readers to vote for their favorite establishments from the entire field. The top half of all vote getters will advance to the next round as we go from 16 to eight to four to two to a winner. People may vote once per day, and voting will be monitored to ensure every establishment gets a fair shot to win. Vote here for your favorite.
Back to the Astros ALDS Watch Parties
Looking for a team-sanctioned Astros rally? Head to the Astros Official ALDS Watch Parties at Karbach Brewing Co. (2032 Karbach St.) on Tuesday and Wednesday, October 10 and 11, in Spring Branch.
Fans can look forward to special appearances by everyone's favorite green guy Orbit and the Coca-Cola Shooting Stars, check out a prize wheel, snap pics at all the photo ops, snag official team postseason gear from the team store, and more.
Here are the watch party schedules for Game 3 and 4, which kick off 30 minutes before first pitch.
Game 3, Tuesday, October 10: Watch party start time is 2:30 pm; game time is 3:07 pm.
Game 4, Wednesday, October 11: Watch party start time is 5:30 pm; game time is 6:07 pm.
"Every single person in that clubhouse is motivated to go out and play well tomorrow," Bregman told the media on Monday, October 9 when discussing his teammates' focus and readiness.
No doubt, Alex — now, it's game on.
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The Astros dropped a tough one Tuesday night, falling 4–2 to the White Sox after slipping behind early. But before anyone reaches for the panic button, take a breath — this team may not look like the dominant, late-inning machine from 2022, but there are still reasons to believe something bigger could be brewing.
In this episode, we unpack what this loss really means and why the bigger picture still matters. Despite a wave of injuries, the Astros are hanging a few games over the .500 mark — a feat that may be more impressive than it seems on the surface.
We take a closer look at Lance McCullers Jr., who’s no longer fighting for a spot at the back of the rotation. His stuff looks sharper, and his role as a solid No. 3 is starting to take shape. We also spotlight Ryan Gusto, a young arm who might quietly become a key piece down the stretch.
The offense hasn’t exploded the way fans hoped, but maybe that’s the point — Houston is still in the fight, and in some ways, overachieving considering the circumstances. Rookie Cam Smith is settling in nicely at the big-league level, and although Christian Walker has underwhelmed, Isaac Paredes has emerged as one of the top third basemen in the American League. Plus, let's not forget Yordan Alvarez should be returning in short order to give the offense a lift.
And yes, it’s early, but we can’t help but wonder… could this be the start of another World Series run? After all, the Astros were swept by the White Sox in 2017 — and we all remember how that story ended.
Be sure to watch the video below as ESPN Houston's John Granato and Lance Zierlein weigh in!
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