Well, well, well, who saw this coming? As the 2023 American League Championship Series shifts to Arlington, Texas, the Houston Astros find themselves down two games to their in-state rivals the Texas Rangers after losing each of the first two games at home. Houston's 7-2 home record over its last four postseason series was thrown out the window as the Rangers took a commanding lead in the ALCS.
Both games were close, but the Rangers used early leads to take control in each and have yet to trail in the series. In fact, Texas has trailed in only one inning across seven games this MLB playoffs, winning all seven. The Astros were slight favorites entering the series, but now have their backs against the wall and their season hanging in the balance.
There have been 89 instances in MLB postseason history where a team took a 2-0 lead in a seven-game series. The team trailing came back to win the series 14 times. The Astros have a chance to make it 15, but they certainly have their work cut out if they want to continue their title defense.
If there's any team that could pull this off it's the Astros. Baseball's best team for the last seven seasons has faced its fair share of adversity, but this one is perhaps Houston's toughest task yet. The Astros still have some things to their advantage and utilizing them will make this series interesting.
Houston's pitching depth a key
A significant reason why the Astros have been so successful for so long is their pitching staff. Consistently one of the best in the league, Houston's arms continue to be the gas that keeps the train moving. Astros pitchers finished with a top-10 ERA in the league each of the last three seasons.
Starting pitching is one thing, but Houston's bullpen has been downright nasty over the last few postseasons. It hit no higher peak than last October when it posted a 0.83 ERA in 13 playoff games, allowing six earned runs en route to another World Series championship.
This year the Astros again have loads of talent and depth in relief. Houston finished with the sixth-best bullpen ERA and had eight different pitchers toss more than 50 innings in relief. Closer Ryan Pressly was among the league leaders in saves with 31 and the high-octane duo of Hector Neris and Bryan Abreu combined for a 1.74 ERA in 140 innings.
The Astros bullpen has been flawless in the ALCS so far, allowing no runs and one hit across 9.2 innings of work. Though the Rangers have Max Scherzer coming back to start Game 3, the Astros bring postseason stalwart Christian Javier. His 1.91 playoff ERA will be put to the test, but Houston gains more confidence in him and the rest of its pitching staff as the series goes deeper.
Astros have been here before
Though not always a factor, experience does matter in the postseason, especially when it comes to the MLB playoffs. The Astros have been the darling of the American League for nearly a decade. Not even their worst full season since 2016 could steer them away from an AL West title and home-field advantage in the ALCS.
This year's edition marks the seventh consecutive MLB semifinal Houston has partaken in. The Astros won 14 playoff series since 2017, capturing two World Series titles and four AL pennants along the way. A 2-0 series deficit means absolutely nothing to them.
Teams don’t just put up those type of numbers on accident. Despite the massive scandal that got in the way of an otherwise flawless dynasty, the Astros are and have been a very talented baseball team for quite some time, whether opposing fans want to admit that or not.
Chances are that unmatched experience will come into play later in this series and could swing some momentum Houston's way. While Texas has players with postseason games under their belts, including 2020 World Series MVP Corey Seager, no team compares to Houston in terms of a roster with loads of playoff moments completed together.
The Astros are built for the postseason and these kinds of scenarios are where they can thrive. The Rangers may have the momentum but don't count the Astros out too quickly. The ALCS may not be over as soon as some anticipate it will be.
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