HOT SEATS
How Houston Astros fans cans score highly coveted playoff tickets
Sep 21, 2022, 1:16 pm
HOT SEATS
As orange-and-blue-blooded Houston Astros fans know, the team clinched its fifth American League West Division title in the past six seasons on Monday, September 19 with a 4-0 win against the Tampa Bay Rays.
So, as the Astros look to the postseason, fans are in turn looking for playoff tickets. Those individual tickets for Astros ALDS home games go on sale on Wednesday, September 28. Diehards can visit the team’s official postseason site to score a chance to grab playoff tickets early.
Of course, the easiest way to guarantee postseason access, the Astros note, is by buying 2023 season tickets. These are on sale now; call 1-877-9ASTROS or visit the aforementioned postseason site for more information and availability.
Postseason power means postseason swag, and so fans can now deck out in AL West Division Champion and postseason now available at the Astros Union Station Team Store (501 Crawford St.) at Minute Maid Park.
The team store is open until midnight Tuesday, September 20, and will then move to extended hours: 9 am-7 pm Monday through Friday, and 9 am-2 pm on Saturdays (on non-game days).
This postseason offers plenty of buzz for fans. Pitching has rarely looked better, with hometown hero Lance McCullers, Jr. back and Justin Verlander — a Cy Young Award favorite — just returning from an injury. Slugger Alex Bregman has been bringing the fire (much like his salsa), as are stalwarts like José Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, and Kyle Tucker.
In short, serious fans should scoop up those tickets now, as World Series run whispers whirl.
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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