The Houston Astros lost Game 1 of their Wild Card series to the Chicago White Sox in frustrating fashion, leading their fan base to drown them with boos throughout the night. That hostility was something Astros players Bennett Sousa and Christian Walker understandably did not like, with Sousa calling Astros fans "spoiled with a lot of ALCS and World Series runs" and Walker calling it "extremely frustrating" to be booed by his home fans.
While anyone can understand their frustration, it's hard to argue against the fan reaction. The Astros had a chance to get the fan base back on their side in Game 2 on Wednesday, only for things to implode so badly so quickly to the point where it's hard to come to any conclusion other than Houston deserves all the boos its getting.
Astros continue to play boo-worthy baseball, even with their season on the line
The Astros seemingly had the upper hand heading into Game 2 with their ace, Hunter Brown, scheduled to take the mound. Instead, Brown allowed a run to score before recording an out and allowed four runs in the first inning overall before being pulled. He left the game recording only two outs and allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits with a walk.
It wasn't all his fault, of course. Yordan Alvarez misplayed a ball in left field. Defensive specialist Nick Allen committed an error before the Astros even recorded an out. Later in that same inning, Lucas Spence committed a throwing error from center field, allowing a run to score. Brown didn't do his job, but the defense was sloppy behind him.
This goes to show just how bad this team actually is. The Astros scored only three runs in Tuesday's game despite the White Sox rolling with a bullpen game. Their pitching has been an utter disaster, with neither starter getting out of the first inning in these two games. Even their defense isn't holding up its end of the bargain.
Do the Astros look like a playoff team? Should the fan base be satisfied with the product their team is putting out there?
Astros fans know that their team has a lot to prove
The Astros won the AL West and earned a home playoff series, but let's not act like they've done much to earn the trust of their fan base. They got to the postseason despite an 81-81 record. They've made the playoffs three times in four years since winning the World Series in 2022, but they haven't been back to the Fall Classic since and haven't even won a game in October since 2023. Why shouldn't this fan base feel uneasy about the overall trajectory?
Astros fans have lofty expectations, and why shouldn't they? This team, even with how bad this year has been overall, has a ton of talent. Alvarez is the best hitter on the planet right now. Brown is an ace when he's right. Jose Altuve has as many great postseason moments as anybody. The back end of the bullpen, consisting of Bryan Abreu and Josh Hader, is nails. In an incredibly weak American League, this team has the talent to get back to the ALCS, at the very least.
Yet they look nothing like a team that's capable of getting there. The first inning of Game 2 didn't change that at all, even with Jeremy Pena's home run. It's never fun to be booed, but if you want that to stop, play better. The Astros are only inviting more boos by playing this poorly.
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