Major League Baseball: 2019 Season

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To be the best, you got to beat the best. Astros vs. Yankees is quite the heavyweight fight. But who lasted? Series summary...

GM1 NYY at HOU: (7-0; New York Yankees)
GM2 NYY at HOU: (3-2, 11 innings; Houston)
GM3 HOU at NYY: (4-1; Houston)
GM4 HOU at NYY: (8-3; Houston)
GM5 HOU at NYY: (4-1; New York Yankees)
GM6 NYY at HOU: (6-4; Houston)
GM7 NYY at HOU: (--- not needed ---)

I am NO Yankees fan, but I respect them a whole lot. And so I know this is not a series they could easily win, like with the Rays in the 2019 ALDS.

* Game 1 was just demolition by the Yankees and hardly any resistance by the Astros. Plain and simple.

* Game 2 saw the series tied 1-1 on the very first pitch in the Top of the 11th, thanks to a solo walk-off jack by Carlos Correa.

* Game 3 had a good deal of damage thanks to a strong first inning by the Astros.

* Game 4 saw the New York Yankees lead 1-0 on a Bases Loaded Walk. But later, three-run jacks by George Springer and Carlos Correa put the Astros ahead real well. However, the Yanks responded proper with a two-run tater of their own to bring the score 6-3 at that point. There was reportedly a Yankees fan who heckled Zack Greinke over the fact Grienke has social anxiety disorder. It was pretty classless of that Yanks fan. That fan was since removed from the stadium. Maybe that motivated the Astros further to defeat the Yankees to (eventually) an 8-3 win.

* Do or die for the Yankees in Game 5. All the offense was done in just the first innings, as the Yankees made sure to extend the series with the Astros having a chance to close out. It was a stolen home for the Astros, but it was later four unanswered runs thanks to a solo homer followed by a three-run homer by the Yanks. Not even one Yankees fan wearing a shirt underneath saying "Joe Buck Sucks" was enough to motivate the Astros on coming back.

* Bullpen pitching defined Game 6. This game was basically like a chess match pitching wise with deciding which pitchers to send out. The Houston Astros jump out early 3-0 with a three-run jack by Yuli Gurriel. The Yankees did not go away. Defense in the 7th and 8th innings by the Astros was amazing. Roberto Osuna had his Save blown thanks to a Yankees two-run homer by D.J. Lamahieu that tied the game at 4. Plenty of drama in this game. Then in the Bottom of the 9th, José Altuve belts a two-run walk-off homer to send the Astros to the 2019 World Series!

My goodness... that was freaking amazing! The resolve and the courage of the Houston Astros helped keep the team together. Any time you beat the New York Yankees, it's a statement maker. I respected the Yankees all along. I didn't think we'd win this in four or five games. This could have easily been a seven-game series, but the Astros really clamped down when they had to and played like champions. The Astros win their third-ever pennant and their second AL pennant. Unbelieveable! Oh, and uh...


New York Yankees = DONE.


Up next for the Houston Astros Baseball Club... the 2019 World Series! It's the Houston Astros against the Washington Nationals to determine this season's champions in a best-of-7 where the winner takes all.


The 2019 World Series begins this coming Tuesday here in Houston. Best-of-7. A little time to rest now. But GTPlanet... if you want to go predict now, tell it- who wins the World Series this season- the Houston Astros or the Washington Nationals, and (optional) in how many games?


[UPDATE/OMISSION] Forgot to edit the Game 3 story. Added the notion of Game 5.
 
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The city of Houston is still buzzing after José Altuve's epic home run last night. I saw everything on social media ranging from raves on the Astros to rants from the Yankees. I was even laughing seeing people make 5'6" José Altuve look bigger than the Yankees! The most famous rant I saw online was of a young lady who mentioned being proud of the Yankees' 27(?) championship rings and will never become a Red Sox fan.

Even though making the World Series was great, WINNING the World Series is what it's all about. So we have the Houston Astros against the Washington Nationals for the 2019 World Series crown. What was about 30 teams trying to make the postseason is now down to the two best (or luckiest?) teams playing for a Championship. The 2019 World Series begins this coming Tuesday in Houston. It's a 2-3-2 format, so it's Games 1 and 2 in Houston, Games 3-5 in Washington, D.C., and Games 6 and 7 in Houston. Games 5-7 are "if necessary," of course. Winner wins the World Series and the Commissioner's Trophy; loser will have to try again next season to have a chance to win it all.


Tell it, GTPlanet- who wins the 2019 World Series between the Astros and Nationals and (optional) in how many games?
 
I found that stat surprising. It just goes to show you just how much the New York Yankees have consistently been a power in Major League Baseball. Astros fans have the Little Giant from Venezuela, José Altuve, to thank for lifting the Astros over the Yankees last night. The blown save hurt with Roberto Osuna. I mean, Osuna had a tough task ahead of him with dangerous hitters coming up in the Top of the 9th. The moment that really hurt was George Springer failing to catch that deep ball that ended up being a game-tying, two-run homer. It would have been as great as when Josh Reddick grabbed that ball that prevented the Texas Rangers from getting a three-run homer earlier this year. But, all sins forgiven as the Astros got that walk-off home run to win Game 6 of the 2019 ALCS.

I take nothing away from the New York Yankees. I always say that of the glamour teams (Dallas Cowboys of the NFL, Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA, and the New York Yankees of MLB), the team I can most tolerate is the Yankees. Most people looked at the Yankees like they were going to lose in five or less games. I even had my fears after that 7-0 demolition in Game 1. Maybe what I thought would motivate the Astros to win was when the Astros had to deal with unruly fans in New York City. There were some classless fans, but at least the Astros know they won't have to deal with New York City any longer. Really, the Yankees did very well even with all the injuries they suffered throughout the season. I mean, look- 100+ wins even with people like A. Judge, G. Stanton, and others getting banged up? It just shows the morale and drive of the Yankees. The Houston Astros were just the better team.

Let me talk Washington Nationals now. I thought the National League was wide open once the Los Angeles Dodgers got knocked out. The Nationals were in the NL Wild Card game where they downed the Milwaukee Brewers. They then went on to take on the Los Angeles Dodgers in one of the two NLDS series. What really surprised me about the Nationals is that they completely swept the St. Louis Cardinals. St. Louis is one of the proudest and most successful franchises all-time in Major League Baseball history, and the Nationals just stymied them to no end. So the Washington Nationals surely earned their spot in the World Series from Wild Card team to World Series contenders. If the Nationals win the World Series, they'll be the first Wild Card team to win the World Series since the San Francisco Giants did it in 2014. I think the Nationals' strong suits are their hitting and their pitching. The Nationals may not have a Verlander-Cole-Grienke rotation, but their pitching is pretty solid. This World Series could be just as competitive as the epic 2017 World Series between the Astros and the Dodgers.


And there are my musings about the upcoming 2019 World Series.
 
Offseason moves. Spring Training. Regular Season part 1. MLB All-Star Game. Regular Season Part 2. Wild Card Elimination Games. League Divisional Series. League Championship Series. And now... we're at where all 30 teams wish they would end up- the World Series. Though Major League Baseball has 30 teams, only 10 can prove themselves to be worthy of a Championship. Ten eventually became two, and those two will clash tonight in a best-of-7 for the Commissioner's Trophy. It is the Houston Astros of the American League meeting the Washington Nationals of the National League. HOU won the AL West while WAS won one of the NL Wild Card slots. Now the two will clash to determine this season's Champions. I'll have my series summary and offer my thoughts once this series concludes.

Games in the World Series follow the 2-3-2 format: 2 home, 3 away, and 2 home. So Games 1 and 2 will be here in Houston followed by the three-game swing in Washington, D.C. Games 5-7 are the "if necessary" games should either team extend the 2019 World Series. Some people think the League Championship Series and World Series should follow the 2-2-1-1-1 schedule. Anyhow, the season is coming to an end with either Houston or Washington becoming MLB champions for 2019.

As an off-topic note, regardless of who wins the 2019 World Series, the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals share the same Spring Training facility. In 2020 Spring Training, the first game played at their shared facility will be... the Astros vs. the Nationals! So there could be a little grudge match depending on whomever wins the 2019 World Series!


Enjoy the 2019 World Series!
 
It just seems weird seeing two National League teams in the World Series. To make it worse, they used the designated hitter in the first two games.
 
DesertPenguin
Totally forgot about the game since we were racing. How'd it go?
Click to expand...
Astros blew out the Nationals 8-1, with Alex Bregman getting a grand slam in the process.

Edit: HOLY HELL! 3-2 going back to Houston! This series is completely nuts!
 
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As they say, "you can't script October." You predicted correctly if you thought the 2019 World Series would go seven games. I have been tight-lipped mostly, but the 2019 season of Major League Baseball has come to this- a winner-take-all Game 7 in the 2019 World Series. Either the Houston Astros or the Washington Nationals will become the champions of the 2019 season. I have a lot of musings to share in this post. So if you don't have a lot of time on your hands, you may want to avoid this post.

How did we get here? Here are the team stories:

* HOU: won AL West, defeated TB in ALDS 3-2, defeated NYY in ALCS 4-2
* WAS: won NL Wild Card, defeated MIL in NL Wild Card Elimination Game, defeated LAD 3-2 in NLDS, defeated STL in NLCS 4-0

These scores tell the story further:

* GM1 WAS at HOU: (5-4; Washington)
* GM2 WAS at HOU: (12-3; Washington)
* GM3 HOU at WAS: (4-1; Houston)
* GM4 HOU at WAS: (8-1; Houston)
* GM5 HOU at WAS: (7-1; Houston)
* GM6 WAS at HOU: (7-2; Washington)
* GM7 WAS at HOU: (???)

A few observations to note...

* The Away team has won every game so far.
* The first to four runs has gone on to win the game.
* The last few World Series championships have been clinched by the Away team, something the Astros did in 2017 at the Los Angeles Dodgers.

If going on trends and stats alone, tonight's Game 7 is highly a disadvantage to the favored Houston Astros. It may be safe to say the all the work the Houston Astros put up all season long can end up making the 2019 Astros one of the biggest bridesmaids in MLB history if they fail tonight. That is, unless the Astros score four runs before the Washington Nationals may reach four runs. I always thought this series was going to come down to pitching more than offense.

The Nationals have played with reckless abandon and played as if THEY are the powerhouse team. Maybe the Washington Nationals took it personally on the mindset of "the American League Champion will easily win the World Series," and they decided to do something about it. The 2019 Washington Nationals almost remind me of... the 2005 Houston Astros. They remind me in that sense in that they go from dead-in-the-water to postseason to World Series. Only difference is that the Nationals won World Series games, unlike the 2005 Houston Astros that got swept by the Chicago White Sox. I respected the Nationals all along when they clinched their World Series berth.

Everything leads to this pivotal Game 7 tonight. Either the Houston Astros win their second championship in three years (which would be their 2nd-ever in franchise history), or the Washington Nationals will win their first-ever championship in their maiden World Series appearance. Washington could also be the first Wild Card team to win the World Series since San Francisco did it in 2014.

One interesting side note. When Spring Training begins for the 2020 season, the Houston Astros will play their first Spring Training game against... the Washington Nationals. So it will be a mini grudge match between these two regardless of whomever wins the 2019 World Series!


This final game of the 2019 is all shaping up to be a potentially wild finish. Both teams are deserving of winning the Commissioner's Trophy and the declaration of 2019 World Series Champions. Only Houston or Washington can win the championship. Nine innings (or maybe longer if Extra Innings are needed) in this crucial final game will help determine who will be champions.

GTPlanet, enjoy Game 7. Congratulations to either Houston or Washington whomever wins the 2019 World Series!
 
Here is my final series summary of the 2019 Major League Baseball season with the 2019 World Series...

GM1 WAS at HOU: (5-4; Washington)
GM2 WAS at HOU: (12-3; Washington)
GM3 HOU at WAS: (4-1; Houston)
GM4 HOU at WAS: (8-1; Houston)
GM5 HOU at WAS: (7-1; Houston)
GM6 WAS at HOU: (7-2; Washington)
GM7 WAS at HOU: (6-2; Washington)

* Game 1 saw the Houston Astros finally see Gerrit Cole's winning streak snapped since May of this season. The Astros did lead early 2-0 after one inning. Afterwards, the Nationals cut the lead in half thanks to a Juan Soto solo home run. A total of five unanswered runs was what Washington put up until the Astros attempted a comeback. Sadly, the Astros were one run short of trying to tie or lead.

* So much for the Astros going a full season without issuing an Intentional Walk. Another bottom-falling-out inning for the Astros once the Nationals got going. What was a 2-2 game turned out to be an 8-2 Nationals lead in the 7th inning. I stopped watching after the Nationals went up 12-2 in the Top of the 8th. The Astros tied, but never led in Game 2.

* Being down 3-0 in the World Series is something you want to avoid, so the Houston Astros knew that they needed to string some wins together to stay alive, staring with Game 3. The Astros managed to take command early and put pressure on the Nationals all game long. Not even the light rain could cool off the Astros as they warmed up. This one ended 4-1 in favor of the Houston Astros.

* The Houston Astros took charge for real in Game 4 starting with 2 runs on four straight hits. Washington would later add in a run. The big bomb from this one was from Alex Bregman banging a Grand Slam to put the Astros even more up for good.

* Game 5 of a series tied 2-2 is all about proving a psychological advantage over your opponent. Whoever wins Game 5 in a 2-2 series will try to make the other team try to force a Game 7 to save their season. The big story before this game was Max Scherzer having neck and back spams and couldn't pitch in Game 5. His replacement? Joe Ross. The Astros made magic happen thanks in part to some long balls. Yordan Alvarez finally banged a homer to put Houston up 2-0. Another two-run dinger was knocked down by the Astros to up 4-0 later. An RBI single in the 8th followed by a CRUSHED two-run jack by George Springer (a "Springer Dinger") helped seal the deal. The Astros' only true blemish was the solo homer given up by Juan Soto of the Nationals. It was very surprising that the Astros swept all three games at the Nationals to bring things to a 3-2 series lead for the Houston Astros.

* Every game so far has been won by the Away team. That means Game 6 (and possibly Game 7) could be in favor of the Away team. The Astros took the lead after Washington drew first blood in the 1st inning. Then, as many as four unanswered runs came about. Two of those runs came after tempers flared for a controversial call of a Nationals runner out in the Top of the 7th. It was 5-2, Nationals at that point. So... you predicted correct if you thought this World Series would go seven. Nationals won 7-2. This World Series marked the first time in any of the four major sports in which the championship series has had the Away team has won all six games.

* Game 7. Winner takes all. Everything on the line. Washington wants to "Finish the Fight." Houston wants to "Take it Back." Over two-thirds of the game was an Astros lead. That all changed when the Nationals later got a solo homer followed by a go-ahead two-run homer by the Nationals' Howie Kendrick. Juan Soto later kept piling the pressure on the Astros to come back as the Nats led 4-2 in the 8th. The 2019 Astros took back the American League pennant, but not the World Series pennant. Damnedest of shames, but that's baseball.


So "Take it Back" will have to wait another year. All congratulations to the Nationals for blitzing the Astros. Only bright spot is that this was one of the greatest seasons in Houston Astros history. Sadly, they couldn't parlay their 2019 success with a World Series title. I felt like the Astros basically had to win the World Series to complete one of the greatest seasons in team history. Unfortunately, the team that Never Settles has to settle for 2nd best in the 2019 season. I actually followed this team and their games because I actually believed in them. I didn't see a lot of their 2017 season because I didn't want to jinx their success. After feeling good about the 2019 Houston Astros, I try to follow their success only to see them fail to the rugged and tough Washington Nationals. I'm saddened as an Astros fan, but what the heck can I do about it? The Nationals went from crap to champs.


There you go. Another MLB season in the books. The team to beat next season will be the Washington Nationals. Nationals... get ready for next season- all of the other teams are all coming for your championship reign in 2020!
 
I am more sad than angry that the Astros didn't become the 2019 MLB Champions. The sting from losing remains for a lot of Houston Astros fans. All the sadness, crying, and heartbreak isn't going to give the Astros the championship. All you can do is just hope they can do MUCH better next season. I'm still doggone proud of the Houston Astros Baseball Club on a great 2019 season.

I later noticed somebody on Facebook replied to my comment on the Houston Astros' Facebook fan page using the hashtag #NOTADYNASTY . I am also pretty sure Tony Kornheiser on ESPN's "Pardon the Interruption" will be plenty pleased in seeing the Washington Nationals as the 2019 MLB Champions. Those who watch PTI may have seen him in a Washington Nationals jacket.

For the most part, I am depressed over the Houston Astros not winning it all. It isn't that I thought the Astros would run over Washington easily, it is just that the Astros just failed to deliver in a number of cases. This is a series the Astros could have won. The Nationals just had answers to everything when it seemed the Astros could have very well have won the World Series. The reason why I wasn't as confident in 2017 was because I fear I would have jinxed the Astros' success. So I didn't see or follow much of the Astros in 2017. A year later, I start watching more of their games and became proud of the Astros. Only that it had to end with that buzzsaw known as the Boston Red Sox in the 2018 ALCS. Now in 2019, I followed the Astros even more and felt good about their chances winning it all. What happened? They failed on the World Series stage, and I felt disappointed they fell short of a World Series triumph even when I had full belief the Astros could pull off their second-ever championship reign. On top of that, many felt this was the year the Astros could possibly be a dynasty and possibly finish an amazing season on top. Even the Gallery Furniture commercials were saying "WHEN the Astros win the World Series" rather than "IF the Astros win the World Series." Mattress Mack put down a $3.5M USD wager that the Astros would win it all. Since the Astros failed to become champs after accomplishing so much, it only stings that a talented team falls short of the grandest prize. The Houston Astros just have a greater set of expectations now since this team has never been better in past times. Not coming through only hurts the team and makes their fans queasy in the stomach. Still, I'm proud of my hometown team and my favorite team. It also [sadly] means another chapter of sports futility in Houston sports... and it's getting pretty damned redundant, if it isn't already. Well... it's back to the Texans and Rockets for me now.


Other than this, the 2019 season has concluded. Feel free to share your thoughts, assessments, and other things about the 2019 season. You may also discuss what you are looking forward to in the 2020 season. I mostly shared what I had to share. Now, it's your turn.


[OMISSIONS] Before Game 7 started, Alex Bregman's grandfather passed away. So A-Breg was playing with a heavy heart before Game 7 of the World Series. Coach A.J. Hinch said he would put Gerrit Cole into game if the Astros were leading. Cole has never been used in relief in the majors or minors. However, he did once pitch in relief when he played his college baseball at UCLA.
 
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I think I heard a stat last night that the Astros were 4 for 29 with runners in scoring position at home during the series. Not going to win many games with those stats against Nationals pitching.
 
You know what? I can finally make a case against hearing Joe Buck- America's favorite play-by-play announcer, right? It was either Joe or John Smoltz who FINALLY mentioned what the Houston Astros had to go through to win the World Series though the Nationals had the better story. The crew finally mentioned how the Houston Astros had to deal with the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Yankees. This was by far one of the most surreal World Series ever. All road teams won every game. So that home field advantage was a curse to the Astros. Or if I may say...

"What a horrible night to have a curse." -Castlevania 2

Many of us Houston fans still need therapy while Washington fans are partying their backsides off still. 107 wins and a high-powered offense didn't mean a damn thing with the 2019 World Series. AJ Hinch probably thought Zack Grienke did enough damage through the game to where he was no longer needed. *buzzer* Didn't happen. I am now also starting to believe poor management also played in the Astros' Game 7 fail.

No matter how you look at it, and with all due respect to the Washington Nationals heart and resolve, the Houston Astros 🤬 up hard and paid for it. So it's going to be a long time between October and February to lament missing out on winning it all. And if that's not bad enough, the Astros' first Spring Training opponent will be the Washington Nationals. One word best describes this- humiliation.

Oh, and just now, Michael Wilbon completely RIPPED the decision by AJ Hinch to pull Greinke.
 

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