4 reasons for the Astros to be optimistic ahead of Game 3 of the ALDS

#2: The Astros are Road Warriors

The Astros have gotten it done on the road all season. For whatever reason, Houston just hasn't performed up to their usual standards at Minute Maid Park. Blame it on the batter's eye, blame it on complacency, blame it on quiet crowds, blame it on anything. Whatever your source of blame, the Astros have not been a good team at home this year.

After starting the ALDS 1-1, Houston is now 40-43 in Minute Maid Park this season.

When Houston has been on the road, they're 51-30. Houston's postseason effectively began in the final six games of the regular season.

The Astros needed to string together a strong stretch over their final six games to even clinch a playoff spot, much less a divison title.

They responded by going 5-1 on the road against Seattle and Arizona.

Whether it be a sweep of the Braves or a sweep of the Rangers, all year Houston has gotten it done in the biggest of moments away from home. Look for more of the same at Target Field.

#3: Cristian Javier looks like he is back

The 2023 season has been a nightmare for Cristian Javier. Fresh off of a dominant postseason in 2022 and a new contract extension this offseason, hopes were high for Javier in 2023. Some pegged him as an AL Cy Young candidate.

He responded with a 4.56 ERA and 1.27 WHIP. After posting a 2.54 ERA with the lowest opponent batting average against in baseball last year, needless to say he underachieved.

But whatever issues were ailing Javier under the hood seem to have been addressed. The mechanical issue impacting his arm angle and diminished velo appear fixed.

Since Javier's last four starts, he's got a 3.05 ERA and 14.3 SwStr%. Those numbers are eerily similar to 2022, when Javier had a 13.8 SwStr%. As Javier battled all of his flaws in the middle of the season, he was getting almost no swing and miss. In those four games, he's allowed only two home runs.

He struck out 11 Orioles in a must-win game in only five innings on September 20th, tying his season high in strikeouts.

If Javier is missing bats and keeping fly balls in the yard, he can be the same pitcher that dominated October in 2022. He looks to be rounding into form at just the right time.

#4: Houston has been here before

Just last year, the Astros dropped Game 1 of the World Series to lose home field advantage, and then lost Game 2 in Philly to fall behind 2-1. They responded with three straight wins, including a no-hitter in Game 4.

After losing the first two games of the 2019 World Series at home, they ripped off three straight in Washington to seize command (let's not talk about the final three innings of Game 7).

With both Justin Verlander and Yordan Alvarez done in 2020, they still almost battled back from a 3-0 deficit in the AL West. In the 2017 ALCS, they trailed New York 3-2 before winning Games 6 and 7 at home. They won Game 7 of that year's World Series on the road.

Heck, they just won five games in six days to win the AL West and get themselves into the postseason. Playoff experience isn't something you can adequately quantify. It's not an across the board thing.

You just can't kill these Astros. They're inevitable.

Some players are outliers, but as a whole, team experience is so invaluable. The Astros are a battle tested bunch that has consistently picked themselves off the mat when it matters most. Conversely, this Twins team doesn't have much experience trying to close out a series. Who knows how they will respond when the pressure is at its most packed?

Maybe they'll immediately succeed. But more than likely, they'll be like the 2015 Astros and need some type of shortcoming to harden them for the future.

We know how Houston tends to respond. They've been here before. Now they've just got to go out and do it again.

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