3 Houston Astros to blame for gifting us a disappointing World Series

Houston Astros to blame: Dusty Baker

Dusty Baker wasn't checked out for his final series as an MLB manager (one would presume), but he made some tough decisions which were rightly questioned by the fanbase. Baker let the Rangers back into this series in Game 6, and allowed them to win it in Game 7 thanks to some curious bullpen choices.

Starting Javier in Game 7 made sense, it's tough to blame him for such things. However, that start did not go well, and once the Astros fell behind they were unable to stop the bleeding. FanSided's Alicia de Artola described Houston manager Dusty Baker's thinking in Game 6:

"Listen, Baker was in a tough spot. With the luxury of knowing he'd see a Game 7, the manager had to make some difficult calls. The fact that he turned to Rafael Montero instead of Ryan Pressly was telling. He may need Pressly as fresh as possible in Game 7 with Bryan Abreu facing a potential suspension. But playing for Game 7 may have been a mistake. After all, Baker has never managed a Game 7 win."

Abreu never faced that suspension, but the Houston bullpen was gassed in Game 7. Texas deserves their pennant, and a likely World Series crown. But the Astros had the firepower to avoid such things.