BEATING THE ODDS?

The Texans have a 2.8 percent chance of making the playoffs. Let's put that in context

Fred Faour
Sep 26, 2018, 2:01 pm
Are the odds in the Texans favor? Twitter.com

Let’s take a break from bashing Bill O’Brien and take an honest look at what lies ahead for the Texans after an 0-3 start.

The most optimistic fan will say they can still turn it around and make the playoffs. A favorable schedule awaits. But let’s take a look at history.

We will go back as far as 1980 for the sample size. In that time, 173 teams have started the season 0-3. Five have made the playoffs. That is 2.8 percent. The last team to do it was 20 years ago with the 1998 Buffalo Bills.

There’s always the “so you’re saying there’s a chance” when it comes to that 2.8 percent number. So let’s look at some other things that are 2.8 percent or close to that number:

Miller64 beer is exactly 2.8 percent alcohol by volume. So if you like that 2.8 number, hoist a Miller64.

Let’s go to poker. The Texans have a better chance of making the playoffs than you do of making quads on the river when your opponent has an overset. So for instance, you hold KK, your opponent has AA. The flop is A-K-Q and the turn is an 8. You win with a king. Your odds? 2.27 percent. So the Texans have that beat.

You have a 0.154 percent chance of being hit by a train. So the Texans have that beat, too.

The odds of dying in a car crash? Just 1 percent. Again, win Texans.

Finally, you have a 2 percent chance of being smart enough to join MENSA. Yay Texans! (O’Brien not so much).

The not so good?

It is four times more likely to snow in Houston than it is for the Texans to make the playoffs.

You have a better chance of being told to “Come on down” on The Price is Right - just over 3 percent.

If you are on death row, you are 10 times more likely to be married than the Texans are to seeing the postseason.

The odds you are having sex every day? 6.0 percent! Yay you! That last one gives the old married contingent some hope, if not the Texans.

Finally, you have a 4 percent chance of being a golf fan, and Tiger Woods just did something the Texans have yet to do -- win. So at least YOU can celebrate.

As for Texans fans, however, the odds may not be forever in your favor.

(Statistics accrued from various research - i.e. Internet searches. Accuracy is not guaranteed. Then again, neither are Texans wins. Also, tip of the cap to Jong Lee for finding the original 5 in 173 number). 

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Houston now focused on postseason

Altuve and Correa homer, Astros drop final regular-season game

Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images

With no playoff impact at stake if the Astros won or lost the game, Houston took Sunday's final regular-season game as a chance to get their lineup a few more at-bats before shifting focus to Tuesday's first game of the post-season. Here is a quick recap of the game against the Rangers:

Final Score: Rangers 8, Astros 4.

Record: 29-31, second in the AL West.

Winning pitcher: Wes Benjamin (2-1, 4.84 ERA).

Losing pitcher: Chase De Jong (0-1, 14.73 ERA).

Houston's main bats get a final tune-up

Knowing they'd only have a couple of at-bats to work with, some of Houston's big bats took advantage, starting with Jose Altuve. He crushed a pitch in the top of the first, a solo homer to put the Astros in front 1-0. After the Rangers tied the game 1-1 in the bottom of the second, Altuve started the third with a walk before moving to third base on a Michael Brantley single, which improved Brantley's season average to .300.

Aledmys Diaz would pick up the RBI on a groundout to score Altuve, putting Houston back in front 2-1. In Correa's last at-bat in the top of the fourth, he extended the lead to 3-1 with a solo home run of his own.

Rangers hand Astros a loss to end the regular season

After getting the early run against Chase De Jong, the Rangers would put together a big inning against him in the fourth. After two one-out singles, Rougned Odor would give Texas their first lead of the day on a three-run homer to make it 4-3.

De Jong would continue to struggle in the inning, getting just one more out while loading the bases, prompting a move to the bullpen to bring in Nivaldo Rodriguez to try and eat up more innings. The Rangers greeted him with a two-RBI single to extend their lead to 6-3 before ending the fourth. Odor would hit his second home run of the game in the bottom of the fifth, a solo shot to make it a four-run lead at 7-3.

Rodriguez allowed another run in the bottom of the seventh, making it 8-3. Diaz, who drove in a run earlier, would account for another RBI in the top of the eighth, getting Houston's third solo homer of the day. That would make it an 8-4 game, which would go final as the Rangers would win the regular season's last game.

Up Next: Houston's first game of the playoffs will be on Tuesday, with the start time and opponent TBD while the rest of today's games wrap up, and the schedule is announced. Regardless, the Astros are expected to begin that best-of-three series with Zack Greinke (3-3, 4.03 ERA).

astros recap astros score astros vs rangers mlb mlb recap astros

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