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Can the Houston Astros Carry Yesterday’s Momentum in to Arlington?

By Thomas O'Banion

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It doesn’t need to be said, but I’ll say it anyways: the Houston Astros’ victory over the Angels yesterday was HUGE. While the team has been dominant at home (48-24), they’ve been atrocious on the road (29-42).

After getting shutdown by Huston Street two days in a row, it looked like a third thumping was in order when the ninth inning started as they were down 3-0. With some pluck, and then a lot of luck, something crazy happened:

If you were like me, you may have had turned the game off by this point; after all, there were some really good NFL games on at the time. My son was cheering from the other room after Preston Tucker’s home run was followed by a George Springer triple, which piqued my interest.

What can I say? It was incredible watching Jed Lowrie cap off the Astros’ scoring by smacking a three run shot that was just out of reach of Kole Calhoun. We woke the napping baby (my wife was none too happy) with our whooping and hollering. It was, as Jeff Foxworthy once said, pandelerium.

So, the question now is: can the Astros carry this momentum to Arlington?

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Before they left for the road trip, you’ll remember that Jed Lowrie was instrumental in the Astros’ come from behind victory over the Twins last Sunday. They talked then about “momentum” but went to Oakland and dropped two of three, and then two of three in Los Angeles.

But this time it’s different. With the AL West race down to a tight 1.5 game lead over the Rangers, the Astros know it’s imperative that they win this upcoming series.

One thing to note is the notorious “mental” game that athletes often deal with. When something goes bad, it could linger for a while, like a hitting slump. Same goes for when things go well: confidence builds and becomes contagious. The mental game should not be underestimated.

The difference between the win over the Twins and the win over the Angels is this: the Astros came from behind on the road yesterday, whereas the victory against Minnesota was at home. It seems trivial, but this is something they haven’t done often this year. If they shake off the idea that they are bad on the road and believe they can win anywhere at any time, yesterday’s game can be the springboard to a strong final push. This team has shown flickers of resilience.

Playoff teams- good playoff teams- have to believe in themselves and they have to be able to win on the road. There is no better time than now for the Astros to show they are that type of team. Their playoff fate depends on it.

Next: Does Chris Carter Have a Future With the Astros?

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