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How have the Astros been so bad at Minute Maid Park?
The Astros' home field advantage is nonexistent at the moment.
By Drew Koch
The Houston Astros are winless in their last eight home games. That's not a misprint. After being swept by the New York Yankees on opening weekend, the Astros haven't won a game at Minute Maid Park since the Game 1 of American League Division Series on October 7, 2023 against the Minnesota Twins.
The Astros went 6-5 in the postseason last year with five of those six wins coming on the road. Unfortunately for Houston, the winner-take-all game against the Texas Rangers in the American League Championship Series took place in H-Town. The Astros lost to their hated AL West Division rival in embarrassing fashion.
After taking a 3-2 series lead, having mopped the floor with the Rangers in Arlington, the Rangers returned the favor. Texas boat-raced Houston over the final two games of the ALCS, outscoring Jose Altuve and Co. 20-6. What has happened to the Astros home field advantage?
How have the Astros been so bad at Minute Maid Park?
The Astros were road warriors in 2023. Houston went 51-30 away from home last season. That .630 winning percentage is something that the best teams in the league reserve for their home record.
The Astros had more wins on the road than the World Champion Rangers did at home (50). Only the Los Angeles Dodgers (53), Tampa Bay Rays (53), and Atlanta Braves (52) had more wins in their home stadiums than the Astros did on the road. That's incredible.
Every pitch from the Juan Soto 9th inning AB in all its glory. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/8s9MyS0ymx
— MLB (@MLB) March 31, 2024
But when you offset that with the fact that Houston's 39 home wins were equal to that of the Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates, and fewer than the Cleveland Guardians, you begin to see the dilemma. The bottom line is, playoff teams are supposed to win at home; otherwise, what's the point of securing home field advantage for the postseason?
Perhaps if Houston didn't own the tiebreaker over Texas last season, the Astros would've flipped the script and taken home the American League pennant en route to their second straight World Series appearance. Instead, Joe Espada's team is wondering how to pick up the pieces of a 0-4 start to the 2024 season.
Houston may well be looking forward to their trip to Globe Life Field later this week.
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