After coming back from being down 3-0 and winning game one, the Houston Astros had all the confidence on their side for game two of the American League Division Series against the Oakland Athletics. They would also be facing A’s pitcher Sean Manaea, who had not pitched in 12 days. While the A’s again jumped out to an early lead, and Sean Manaea looked like he was starting to get his pitching mojo back, Astros hitters again got to A’s pitching thanks to the longball.
When it was all set and done, Astros starter Framier Valdez settled down and gave Houston seven solid innings. Along with the bullpen, the Astros were able to ground the A’s batting order from anything more than two early home runs, and win the game 5-2, taking a 2-0 series lead. The Astros need just one more victory to eliminate the A’s and move onto the American League Championship Series. Here are key takeaways from game two.
The Astros Have Not Lost A Beat Despite Doubters
Much to the dismay of the baseball world, the Astros have hung in there. Their bats are coming alive at the right time, while their pitching is finding ways around the A’s hitters. It always helps to have a leadoff guy capable of hitting home runs like George Springer. It especially helps players like that when the team generates baserunners from the bottom of the order. While the Astros did not get as much offensive production in game two, they have to be proud of the way they have been hitting. They have turned the tempo in both games with two out rallies. More importantly, they are seeing power that was absent in the regular season, from the bat of Carlos Correa.
Is the Astros’ Young Bullpen That Good?
Considering that the Astros’ young bullpen has given up zero earned runs on just one hit through seven innings pitched, there is no sugarcoating the substantial impact they have had on the team this series. In an era of baseball where young players are increasingly taking center stage, the Astros’ rookie-filled bullpen is the epitome of the fact that age and experience maybe doesn’t fully matter in the postseason. All that should matter for a team is whether their bullpen can produce or not. The bullpens that produce are the ones who will go far in the postseason.
If The A’s Lose, Will Team Management Be Shaken Up?
Deja vu? When will this stop? Well the A’s did finally get over their first round postseason woes, by getting past the Chicago White Sox in the Wildcard Round. If the A’s lose game three however, it will mark 20 years in the Billy Beane era that the A’s have fallen in the playoffs. Has Oakland ownership seen enough? Will the A’s officially pull the plug on moneyball and move on from Billy Beane, if they lose in game three? The other longtime member of the team is manager Bob Melvin, currently the longest tenured manager in the MLB. Could a loss tomorrow be Melvin’s last game managing the green and gold? While Oakland’s struggles in this series cannot be fully controlled by managing, there are certainly plenty of questionable decisions Melvin has made, particularly with which pitcher to bring in. Is game three Melvin’s last chance?
Are The A’s Done?
Well in the words of baseball legend Yogi Berra, “It ain’t over till it’s over.” While certainly not impossible for the A’s to salvage their season, they will have a hill to climb as 88 percent of teams with 2-0 series leads in a best-of-five series have advanced. While the recent history of the A’s falling in the postseason might not help the confidence of fans, the team has shown great resilience throughout the season, stepping up in games with the odds stacked against them. They managed to overcome two elimination games in the previous round’s Wildcard series. If there is any silver lining to these first couple of games, Oakland’s power bats look to be coming alive. If the A’s can combine that with the smart, heads up baserunning and defense that got them to this point, they could have a strong chance of coming back and winning the series. This comeback would have to start with rookie craze Jesus Luzardo bringing his best stuff, as he will start game three. When Luzardo does bring his best stuff, it’s nasty! When the Astros get hitting however, their lineup is nasty too. Once again, everyday is a new day, no one should be counted out.
