HOUSTON – Sunday night the Astros defeated the Braves 9 to 5, forcing the World Series into Game 6 at Minute Made Park. Right now, Houston trails Atlanta by one game. Ahead of Tuesday night’s game, the series is Atlanta 3, Houston 2.
Mike Acosta is Astros’ team historian. He said, “It (The World Series) means everything to Houston because before 2005, it was always the elusive part of baseball to Houston.”
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That was the first year the Astros appeared in the World Series. The team lost to the Chicago White Sox. Twelve years later, in 2017, the Astros were back in it. This time, beating the Dodgers. In 2019, bats were swinging against the nationals, but it wasn’t enough and then comes 2021.
“They played really great baseball,” explained Acosta.
Major league baseball was back to 162-games this year after the pandemic forced the league to reduce the season to 60 games.
“In 1903, that was the first organized World Series baseball year by MLB. If you look at World Series that ended in five games, it’s happened 26 times, since 1903. It’s happened six times since the year 2000, but that doesn’t include the four game sweeps that have happened in that span,” explained Acosta.
This appearance at the World Series is Astros fourth trip to the championship in less than 20 years, and their third debut in five years. The Yankees is the franchise with most appearances in the World Series. The year 2005 was the only year the team went to the World Series as National League Champions. The Astros switched to the American League in 2013.