Jay West ’20

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The Houston Astros are now heading into Game 2 of the World Series after starting the American League playoffs as the #2 seed with a stellar 101 win season. During the regular season, the Astros were led by superstars Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, and George Springer, the most explosive offensive players in the league. The Astros have managed to retain an impressive pitching rotation, along with Justin Verlander, a late-season addition, and former Cy-Young winner Dallas Keuchel.

The Astros started their postseason run by dominating the Boston Red Sox with their dynamic offense and strong starting pitching. Thanks to Jose Altuve’s three home runs, solid pitching outings from both Justin Verlander and Dallas Keuchel, and a clutch home run from Astros 3rd baseman Alex Bregman, the Astros were able to beat the Red Sox in 4 games. The MVP of this series went to Jose Altuve who recorded an astounding .533 batting average.

During the second round of the playoffs, the Astros outlasted the New York Yankees through a rollercoaster of a series. The Astros started the series with two their two aces in control: Dallas Keuchel and Justin Verlander. Dallas Keuchel was able to pitch seven shutout innings in the first game, leading the Astros to a 2-1 victory, and Justin Verlander single-handedly carried the Astros to a two-game lead by throwing a complete game while only allowing only one earned run. With a two-game lead heading to New York, the Astros seemed poised to easily win the series within the next couple games; however, the Astros bats went cold, unable to score runs. The Astros quickly dropped 3 games in a row to the Yankees, suddenly finding themselves one loss away from elimination. With their backs against the wall, the Astros showed they had the clutch-gene by beating the Yankees two games in a row, winning the series 4 games to 3: they call us Clutch City for a reason . . . The MVP of this series went to Justin Verlander, who only allowed 1 run through 16 total pitched innings.

The Houston Astros have secured a World Series berth against the Los Angeles Dodgers by beating the Red Sox and Yankees. An Astros-Dodgers World Series will be a close matchup because of the proficiency of both their offenses and great starting rotations. Although the Dodgers are favored to win by many, the Astros have an underdog spirit that cannot be tamed. Our players, much like the people of Houston, are strong, resilient, and full of heart.

If any city deserves a World Series win, it’s Houston, struck by hurricane Harvey during the end of August. Two months later, Houstonians are still recovering from its crippling blow. A World Series crown for the Astros would bring joy and hope to Houston.