On Wednesday, the Houston Astros became the first team eliminated from the postseason, allowing four runs in the eighth inning to turn a 2-1 lead into a 5-2 loss against the Detroit Tigers in Game 2 of their AL Wild Card series. This loss marks the team’s seventh consecutive home playoff defeat and the first time since 2016 that Houston will not compete in the ALCS. It’s safe to say that Joe Espada did not envision his first year as manager ending like this.
Since their accomplishment was unprecedented for an AL team in Major League Baseball history, it was inevitable that they would be eliminated from the playoffs without reaching that stage of the postseason.
Joe Espada’s different perspective on the Astros loss
“It’s tough. But I want our guys to be proud of how far we’ve come … So many great things we did that I don’t want us to hang our head down just because of the way the season ended. We should be proud of what we accomplished and how we did it. I think the process is important,” Joe Espada said during his post-game press conference.
This might not be what Astros fans want to hear right now, but following the game, Espada sought to provide a broader perspective on the season as a whole.
There is certainly some validity to that; few teams faced as many pitching injuries as Houston did this season. However, for a team that had reached the ALCS seven times in a row, claiming that simply making the postseason is the objective feels somewhat wrong.
Unfortunately, this elimination occurred amid numerous questions about the Astros’ future. With third baseman Alex Bregman and Justin Verlander slated to become free agents this winter, it’s likely that neither will be part of the roster in 2025.
The Astros pushing through but still coming up short
The Astros faced significant challenges throughout the 2024 season, dealing with injuries to Kyle Tucker, Yordan Alvarez, and nearly all of the team’s starting pitchers, yet they still managed to secure another AL West title.
However, their offense faltered once again in October, and the expensive bullpen collapsed late, ending the Astros’ playoff journey before it truly began.
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While it’s understandable that Espada would take pride in the players he just spent a grueling season with, that sentiment is unlikely to appease a fan base that anticipated far better results and already had concerns about some of Espada’s choices during the Wild Card Round.
Nonetheless, the Astros were favored to advance past the emerging Tigers, who had just one player on their roster with playoff experience. The outcome is disappointing, and while they achieved their goal of securing their fourth consecutive AL West division title, they didn’t perform at a level high enough to make an impact in the playoffs.
Espada is in a precarious position following this performance, and he will likely face considerable criticism in the coming days and weeks—criticism that these remarks are unlikely to ease.
How they address that moving forward will determine whether they can regain their dominance over the American League when the time arrives.
