For the last ten or so years, it’s been the Astros who have been the king of the hill in the AL, and the Dodgers who were the measuring stick in the NL. Other teams would try to take those mantles, but none could do it on a sustained basis.
From 2017 to 2025, a span of 9 World Series, at least one of the Astros or the Dodgers have been in the World Series, but weirdly, there’s been just one World Series where they were both in it: 2017.
2017 was an epic 7 game battle; Game 5 still stands out as the single greatest baseball game I’ve ever attended in person. It is a series that stirs the most heartwarming of memories for the baseball fan in Houston, a much need lift centered around a feeling of “Houston Strong” unity in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. It is also a series that draws out the most bitter of feelings from the baseball fan in Los Angeles, convinced it was a title taken from them on the back of the sign stealing scandal.
After the 2017 World Series, the two franchises behaved like a couple divorcing who couldn’t agree what to do with their summer fall home, the World Series, until they came to agreement that they would alternate years. That way they wouldn’t have to see each other. They could take turns bringing AL East and NL East teams to the World Series instead of going with each other.
The Dodgers took 2018, having a fling with the Red Sox. The Astros took 2019, inviting the Nationals to the fall classic. 2020, it was the Dodgers’ turn again, this time they let the Rays come over. 2021, the Astros, and the Braves were the flavor of the season.
2022, the Dodgers couldn’t make it, so the Astros took it again, hosting the Phillies. 2023, there must have been a miscommunication, neither showed up; maybe they AirBnB’d it that year and the Rangers and Diamondbacks rented it out. 2024, the Dodgers reclaimed it and brought yet another AL East date in the Yankees. And since the Astros got the place two years in a row from 2021-2022, the Dodgers took 2024 too, giving a temporary doorcode to the Blue Jays.
The timeshare for the two franchises has worked decently for nearly a decade, but while the Dodgers are still doing well, it looks like the Astros may have to sell off their share of this World Series vacation home.
The Dodgers are first place in the NL West. The Astros have one of the worst records in the AL (but not the worst, thanks to the Angels, and the team they just took 2 of 3 from, the Red Sox.)
The Dodgers have done everything well. Hit well, pitched well. So naturally they find themselves in a good position. The Astros have hit well, but haven’t pitched so well, and it’s not been enough to have one side of the coin.
What seems like a lost season has given a few glimmers of hope. Spencer Arrighetti seems like he’s turned into a solid rotation piece. Some of the bullpen pieces are coming around. They just finished a 3 game series where they limited the opponent to 3 or fewer runs in each game. Of course, that opponent was the flailing Red Sox, but for as terrible as they’ve been this season, they’re only 4 games behind in the AL West division.
Can we believe any of this hope? Well, 9 of the Astros 14 wins have come against the Rockies, Red Sox and Angels. Not a stellar ouevre. Take 2 out 3 here against the Dodgers though, maybe I’ll resurrect some optimism.
It starts with tonight’s first game of the series, and it won’t be easy. The Astros face 2025 World Series MVP left-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto who sports a 2.87 ERA in 6 starts with a 1.01 WHIP, 32 strikeouts and 9 walks in 37.2 innings.
And while HOU has the #1 offense by wRC+ in the AL, the Dodgers have the #1 offense by wRC+ in the majors. This may be both the best pitcher as well as the best offense the Astros have faced this year.
On the Astros side, for the second game in a row, they will be running a bullpen game, with Steven Okert starting things off. A second bullpen game in a row from the team with the worst bullpen in the majors by ERA. (Although again, it did limit the Red Sox yesterday to 1 run… though not easily.)
This is the Astros’ toughest challenge of the year so far, but if they want to make up some ground in the standings, they can’t do it against bad teams alone.
Here are the starting lineups:
The game will be broadcast at 7:10 p.m. CT on SCHN with radio coverage on KBME 790 AM.
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Feature photo by mhatter106.
Looks to be some high scoring games?
The Dodgers have missed run support on a few of their stellar starts so maybe there’s a chance of taking one game and battling a second?
I find it hard to believe the team will be competitive in all three, but I surely hope it will.
Yamamoto, I think, is the best pitcher the Astros have faced all season, until tomorrow at least when they face Ohtani and his 0.6 ERA.
This series is gonna be a beast.
So your telling me there’s a chance…
The curb stomping must occur tonight. Hero’s emerge from this series. Who would had ever remembered Zach Short??? Never. But now he lives in legend.
Easier for a hero to emerge and get a win when it’s not a bullpen game. With a pen game you need 3 or 4 heroes to emerge.