4 Astros to blame after Houston crashes out of postseason in shocking sweep
The Astros’ offense disappeared at home yet again as Houston was swept out of the Wild Card Round by the Tigers.
And just like that, the season is over. The Houston Astros once again went quiet at Minute Maid Park in October, falling in Game 2 of their AL Wild Card series to finish off a shocking sweep at the hands of the underdog Detroit Tigers. That now makes seven straight home playoff losses for Houston and sets the stage for an offseason full of questions.
Before we get to that, though, it’s time to play the blame game. There’s plenty to go around after a season-ending loss like this, from Joe Espada’s bullpen management to a star-studded offense
that nevertheless managed to score just two runs across two games. Here are the four Astros who came up smallest in this series.
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4. Josh Hader
We’ll get the obvious out of the way first. Hader was Houston’s prize free-agent acquisition, the $95 million man who gave the team another elite option at the back end of the bullpen with which to shorten games come October.
But when it came time to finally put that plan into action, the lefty faltered: After Ryan Pressly gave up the tying run in the top of the eighth, Espada called on Hader with two on and two out to put out the fire. Instead, he poured a can of gasoline onto it, walking Spencer Torkelson before allowing a bases-clearing double to Andy Ibanez that put the game out of reach.
