Survive and Advance

The Astros are making their 4th straight appearance in October and their 5th time in 6 years. Playoff baseball is a different animal and yet with everyone knowing the statements above every national pundit, analyst and common fan think the Houston Astros are not going to make any noise. This team has been to the Mountain top of October baseball and have experienced the deepest valleys as well, there is no team in the AL with more experience in October than this team yet here we are. Everyone thinking that this team will be swept by the Minnesota Twins. Yes, the Twins have been a WAGON all season and their offense does this thing where they score runs in droves and makes it look easy BUT playoff baseball is a different breed. The Astros limp into the playoffs below .500 with an inept offense for the last month but I truly believe the self pressure the team put on themselves to make October and the target on their back from the fallout of the cheating scandal had them pressing. BUT ALL THE PRESSURE IN THE WORLD IS ON THE TWINS TO BEAT THESE ASTROS. Everyone in the United States with a twitter account cannot wait to fire off tweets that will get 1 like and 1 RT like Asterisks tour to rub our face in the shit. And what do I say to them as an unbiased journalist?

Fuck em. We ball.

The Trash Can Scandal made the 2017 Astros notorious. Win this, and the 2020 Astros will be infamous.

Astros in 3.

Game 1: Geinke vs Maeda

Yes, this Maeda

Maeda, since leaving LA has shown a form of being a true ace and has helped anchor this rotation. He has stepped and allowed future ace Jose Berrios to take some bumps and bruises.

The AL Central champions can flat out hit the ball. With 5 players that have hit 9+ homeruns this shortened season. Let dig into the matchups.

DH

Cruz vs. Brantley?

Brantley is the pure hitter while Nelson Cruz has been hitting balls into orbit for the last decade off the Astros

Advantage: PUSH

1B

Gurriel vs. Sano

Yuli has not been right since he has injured his wrist but then again when the lights are the brightest he steps up. Sano, is very much a homerun or strikeout hitter and we have to avoid situations where he is up to drive runners in because his exit velo is like 900 mph. He smacked 13 bombs and 12 doubles while slashing. 200 with 90 strikeouts.

Advantage: Twins (Yuli is just not healthy)

2B

Altuve vs. Arraez

Its hard not going with Arraez who slashed 321/364/402 and constantly putting the ball in play but even if I think the MVP wakes up with my fandom heart, the numbers say Arraez

Advantage: Twins

SS

Correa vs. Polanco

Correa has shown he should win the Gold Glove this year and the power has fallen off a bit but he has that October DNA.

Advantage: Astros

3B

Bregman vs. Donaldson

Swagger vs. Swagger. Should have walked me vs. The Bringer of Rain. You love to hate both these guys.

Advantage: Push

OF

Tucker/Springer/Reddick vs. Rosairo/Buxton/Kepler

I think this is where the season is won. Whichever group steps up for the lineup is what will springboard each offense.

Advantage: I’ll take the World Series MVP any day in the playoffs, Astros.

C

Machete vs. Jeffers

Yeah, Machete has been Mickey Mantle reincarnated all year.

Advantage: Astros

1pm is go time. Survive and Advance.

-@apollodez1