Alan Truex: The dynasty is short-lived in Houston

HOUSTON – The end of the season came earlier for the Astros than almost anyone expected.  You had to feel good about their chances on Elimination Thursday. They had the ace of aces, Justin Verlander, going against the most unsuccessful starting pitcher in postseason history: 0-9 David Price, pitching on 3-day rest instead of the usual 4.

Many Red Sox fans were thinking it’s OK to lose Thursday night.  Let their heroes come home to cozy, chilly Fenway, up 3-2 and knowing all they have to do is win one of two at home.  Then they can celebrate the right way, in the city emblazoned in red letters on their uniforms.

There was the ideal sacrificial lamb, the 33-year-old Price, consistently excellent in regular season (143-75 for his career) and in postseason relief but impossibly horrific as a starting pitcher.  He goes on short rest so more reliable arms – belonging to Chris Sale, Rick Porcello and Nathan Eovaldi – will be fresh to close out the ‘Stros. 

Many of us thought the Red Sox would not be fully focused in Game 5, knowing they held such a strong upper hand.  So what if they fall to the great Verlander (13-6 in the postseason) in his home park?  They’ve already shown they can beat up Houston’s pitcher in the anticipated Game 6, Gerrit Cole.

Alas, Alex Cora, the rookie manager, never let his team slack for a second.  His decision to start Price was one of the smartest of many good ones he made throughout this postseason.  It was the ideal spot for the lefthander to exorcise all those postseason demons.  There was little pressure on him, since nobody expected him to beat Verlander, especially on shortened rest.  

Sure enough, Price found comfort and confidence in Minute Maid.  There was no longer a gorilla on his back, at most a spider monkey.  The Astros couldn’t blast his fastball and couldn’t touch his changeup.  He threw 6 shutout innings and struck out 9.

The turning point in this game was third inning, bases empty, Verlander ahead 0-2 on the league’s greatest slugger, J.D. Martinez.  So Verlander spotted his slider on the low outside corner.  TV replays showed it was a strike.  Umpire Chris Guccione called it a ball, and Verlander’s body language – frowning, stepping around on the mound — showed extreme displeasure.  Hey, you can’t live with 1-2?

Seemingly distracted, he hung a curve to Martinez, who lifted it over the train track behind center field – a distance calculated at 396 feet.  The visitors had the lead and would never give it up.  No repeat World Series.

So from a Houston perspective, an autopsy is in order.  These are some issues that brought down the Astros:

• Alex Bregman.  Their best player had an LCS he’d like to forget.  He hit .133, no homers, 1 RBI.  He also created the main distraction of the series, posting an Instagram after Game 1 of Astros ripping three consecutive home runs off Eovaldi, who would be the Game 3 starter.  “Lil pregame video work,” Bregman captioned his production.  I take back everything I’ve said about him being a wonderfully mature 24-year-old team leader.

“Post that,” Price shouted to Bregman when Eovaldi struck him out at 102 mph on the way to an 8-2 Red Sox romp.  

References were made to the Yankees’ Aaron Judge loudly playing “New York, New York” in celebration of a win at Fenway in the Division Series.  After that poke of the bear, the Red Sox did not lose another game to New York.  And after Bregman trolled them in the LCS, they won four straight.

• Gerrit Cole.  Really shabby Game 2 by the No. 2 starter.  The Astros had Price on the ropes and scored four runs off him, but Cole gave up 5 in 3 innings.  He did not allow that many in any of his 32 starts in the regular season.  He was nervous and fidgety on the mound, lacking his customary poise and concentration.

• Roberto Osuna.  The team’s No. 1 reliever (and highest-salaried at $5 million), blew up in the eighth inning of Game 3.  He hit two batters in a row, allowed five earned runs in two-thirds of an inning, turned a 3-2 nail-biter into an 8-2 blowout.  Karma, say some in the #MeToo crowd.  In August he plea-bargained a charge in Toronto of assaulting his girlfriend. 

• A.J. Hinch.  He was severely outmanaged by his protégé, who was Astros bench coast last year.  Cora planned thoroughly, gave precise instructions to his players on how to attack Houston’s hitters and pitchers.  He took away Houston’s most lethal weapon, Bregman.  Cora always seemed a step ahead of Hinch, who waited too long – Game 4 — to give Bregman protection in the batting order.

Worse was the way Hinch mismanaged the bullpen.  How can anyone be surprised when Joe Smith gets dinged?  In the regular season he threw 7 home runs in 45 innings.  He should not have been on the postseason roster.

Smith and Will Harris were erratic in the regular season and much worse in the playoffs, with ERAs of 9.00 and 27.00.  One of their slots should have gone to 24-year-old Framber Valdez, who was the No. 5 starter in September, 4-1 with a 2.19 ERA and a much stronger arm than Smith and Harris possess.

Granted, whatever blunders they committed, the Astros were unlucky with umpires and injuries.  Joe West will live in infamy for ruling fan interference that deprived Jose Altuve of a 2-run homer in a game his team eventually lost 8-6.   West insisted a fan reached into the area of play and closed the glove of Mookie Betts.  Camera coverage could have been better, but it looked to me like the ball was over the wall – a home run — before the fan touched it or a glove.

Altuve was the hard-luck story of the series.  He limped around on a knee that Bregman described as being “as big as a grapefruit.”  The 5-foot-6 Altuve, the team’s main energy source, electrifying the field, the stands and dugout, hit .250 for the series – 70-80 points below his healthy self.

And there are other health issues troubling the Astros as they begin their off-season.  Lance McCullers, who stars as both starter and reliever, did not deny rumors that he may need Tommy John surgery.

Charlie Morton, 15-game winner who was undone in the playoffs by shoulder soreness, also faces possible surgery.  He’s heading into free agency but has said he’s considering retiring at 34.  

On the upside, All-Stars Bregman, Altuve, George Springer and Carlos Correa are all under Astros’ control for at least the next two seasons.  But they have only one more year before Verlander and Cole will be free agents.  They could put together a fine rotation with Verlander, Cole, Valdez, Colin McHugh and Josh James, who’s 25 and throws triple digits.

As for the bullpen, a boost should come from a comeback by 27-year-old Chris Devenski, who was the club’s best reliever for 2 ½ seasons before he was stopped by hamstring trouble.  The farm system remains well stocked, and so is the bank vault of owner Jim Crane, who’s indicated willingness to spend $30 million on the free-agent market.  There’s plenty of reason to think 2019 will have a better ending for the Astros.