This may have been the most exciting World Series in modern-day history! Who would have thought that the Houston Astros would beat the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium? Truly an amazing story. This game will hold its place in the hearts of Houstonians for years to come.
How it played out
The Astros were able to clinch the win in the third inning, although, the Dodgers didn’t just lie down and let them have it. The Dodgers seemed to have gained all the confidence in the world when they won the sixth game, and it certainly showed at the beginning of the seventh.
The Astros were up at the beginning of the game which gave them the clear advantage in terms of confidence moving forward. After that menacing play in the sixth inning, the Dodgers had a good chance to go for gold by building momentum and leaving the Astros with nothing but broken hearts and unfulfilled dreams.
However, the Astros didn’t come this far to let them steal the glory. Every inning after the sixth was a walk in the park because of the immense amount of pressure the Astros brought that kept the Dodgers at a score of one point. After losing one game at Dodger Stadium, no one thought that the Astros would win the World Series in the Dodgers own home. The celebration in Houston will last for weeks due to this amazing feat accomplished by the Astros.
This was a record-breaking World Series
The most home runs executed in the postseason happened in this World Series (2017). The fifth game was the highest-scoring game with extra innings in postseason history. Also, the Astros were the first team in postseason history to have three game-tying home runs in a single game. In game five, the Astros were the first team in history to have five separate players hit a home run in a single game.
Even George Springer of the Astros tied a record with five homers in the World Series matched only by Reggie Jackson and Chase Utley.
Why this is important for Houston
Houston has been through a lot these last few months. Houston (and the larger Houston area) experienced a devastating hurricane in August. Hurricane Harvey caused massive flooding in Houston and a great deal of property damage.
As of mid-September, 82 people have died directly or indirectly because of the hurricane. Also, $180 billion in damages occurred, which is second only to the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina in the history of the United States.
Sure, massive amounts of money have been given to hurricane relief aid, but the road to recovery is still quite long for those who were heavily affected. So, how does this translate into baseball?
Before this World Series, Houston had a couple of sports teams that hadn’t won a championship. The Texans football team was formed in 2002 and still hasn’t won a Super Bowl. The Astros were formed in 1962 and only just won the World Series in 2017. So, this win that the Astros clinched will surely be a historic moment for Houston.
Houstonians everywhere have had their spirits lowered by the events of the last few months, but finally, there is something major that they can all celebrate. In the grand scheme of things, it might not seem like much, but any good vibes will be uplifting for the people of Houston. This win, the Astros first victory in the World Series, will certainly carry them into the year 2018 with their heads held high.
