A Life of Words

Wednesday night’s Game 3 of the American League Championship Series in Arlington went down just the way my longtime friends John Reed, Randy Higgins and I hoped it would – with an 8-5 victory for the Houston Astros, the team we all grew up supporting as kids and cheering for in games with our families at the Astrodome. The three of us had a blast and were relieved our team was able to turn the series back into, at least for now, a competitive one after the playoff-undefeated Rangers had taken the first two games in Houston.

I’ve known John, a TCU grad (like my wife Kay) who lives in Fort Worth with his wife Lisa (another TCU grad), since first grade in the mid-1960s when he and I were wee ones at St. Matthew Lutheran in Houston. John, a bicycle enthusiast who recently spent a month with Lisa in Spain, where he biked 515 miles on the Camino de Santiago, recently retired from a long career at American Airlines. In the photo, he’s wearing an Astros jersey my old girlfriend gave me in the late 1980s and I gave him when we went to an Astros-White Sox playoff game in Houston two years ago.

As for Randy, who also lives in Fort Worth with his wife Denise, I’ve known him since we were students at Conroe High and later at Texas A&M. He served our country for over 30 years in the U.S. Army, and now in his early 60s, he’s doing yeoman’s work as an eighth-grade history teacher at Workman Junior High in Arlington. How’s that for an amazing human being?

But back to Wednesday’s game, where the contingent of Astros fans at Globe Life Field wasn’t nearly as large as it usually is at Astros-Rangers games in Arlington. Although we were surrounded by Rangers backers, there were several fellow Astros fans on our row.

The loud and lusty booing and name-calling hurled at the visitors began with pregame introductions and continued every time an Astro’s name was announced as he strode to the plate. But as they’ve done the past several seasons, the Astros seemingly put up a sound barrier against the noise, staying focused on the moment and the must-win scenario they faced in Game 3.

They jumped on Rangers starter Max Scherzer – who was making his first start in over a month and whom the Astros had belted here in early September – for three runs in the second inning. They added single runs in the third and fourth – including a solo shot by Jose Altuve, the object of more of the fans’ hatred than anyone else.

Astros starter Cristian Javier shut down the Rangers on no hits until the fifth, when rookie Josh Jung hit the first of his two homers to make the score 5-2. From that point forward, every time the Astros added on, the Rangers answered right back. But the Astros’ Ryan Pressly induced a double-play grounder from – of all people – Jung to close out the victory that saved Houston’s season.

In a game filled with critical plays, the Astros could’ve turned this into a rout if not for the Rangers’ stellar defense. Altuve hit two other long fly balls that came close to going out.

But Rangers center fielder Leody Taveras starred with the gem of the night, reaching over the fence with his gloved left hand about 410 feet from home plate to steal a homer from Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez leading off the sixth. It was a phenomenal catch that had the entire ballpark stunned, cheering, buzzing – and, of course, Astros fans shaking our heads in disbelief and dismay.

I have a number of friends who seem to think I’ve been a good-luck charm for the Astros. When I attended all three games of the Astros-Rangers series in Arlington in early September, the Astros pummeled the hosts, winning 13-6, 14-1 and 12-3 in one of the most lopsided series in Houston’s franchise history. The Astros had 50 hits and 16 home runs, both major-league records for a three-game series.

After that, though, the Astros went into a tailspin, suffering embarrassing losses to the likes of the 100-loss Royals (five of six) and Athletics (two of three) while stumbling down the stretch. Luckily, they recovered in time to win five of six on a closing road trip and nudge out the Rangers for the AL West title. It’s gloriously fitting that they’re meeting in the postseason for the first time in the teams’ history with a spot in the World Series – likely against the unbelievably on-fire Phillies – at stake.

So after friends and even my wife – who texted me during Wednesday’s game “Can you go to tomorrow’s game?” – gave me the inspiration I needed, a little while after getting home from Game 3, I started an online search for tickets to tonight’s Game 4. Seats on the secondary market started at well over $200, which I wasn’t going to pay. On a whim, I checked the Rangers’ site (where I purchased my Game 3 tickets in the team’s ALCS presale), not expecting any tickets to be available.

Imagine my shock when I found the Rangers offering upper-deck tickets down the left-field line at face value. I took a chance and purchased two, hoping I’d be able to find an Astros fan to go with me. I struck out with about a dozen, so I decided to turn to Rangers fan friends instead and found one who’s happy to join me (thank you, Karl!).

So I will bring my career 8-2 Astros playoff record (2-0 this season!) to Globe Life Field tonight for Game 4, wishing, hoping and yearning for my team to pull out another win and get this series back to dead-even. That would turn it into a best-of-three showdown starting with Game 5 in Arlington on Friday before it returns to Houston for Games 6 and 7.

Sure, I get it – football’s one thing, but isn’t baseball the most incredible sport? And playoff baseball? You just can’t beat it.

Your good-luck charm will be there for you guys again tonight, Astros. Let’s keep winning!  😊