The boos came early and landed hard for the Astros on Tuesday afternoon, and Bennett Sousa did not hide how much they bothered him.
Houston dropped Game 1 of its Wild Card series to the Chicago White Sox, 6-3, at home, and now faces elimination in Game 2 on Wednesday. In the middle of that loss, Sousa drew some of the loudest reaction from the crowd after a rough sequence that included wild pitches, a sixth run scoring, and later Colson Montgomery reaching first base after he swung through strike three on a pitch that reached the backstop.
Afterward, Sousa told Chandler Rome of The Athletic, "I'm not going to lie to you, I was pretty pissed off in the dugout when I came in, about the boos," Sousa said. "This team has laid a lot on the line to be in this position to give the fans a playoff game -- a playoff series. We want their support."
He wasn’t the only Astro who bristled at the home crowd’s response. Christian Walker also made his feelings clear, telling Rome that, "It's extremely frustrating as a home player.
We're here, playing at home; we need cheers. We need energy.
We don't need boos."
The reaction from the stands wasn’t exactly surprising in the moment. The Astros had already fallen behind, and the crowd let them hear it when the game started slipping away. That kind of pushback can happen in plenty of big markets, especially when the home team is struggling.
But for Houston, it clearly hit a nerve. The Astros entered the postseason at 81-81, won the AL West, and earned the right to host the Wild Card round. Instead of getting the lift they wanted, they spent Tuesday dealing with a frustrated fan base and a loss that left their season hanging by a thread.
If they want to avoid hearing those boos again, the Astros will have to respond in Game 2 and force a winner-takes-all Game 3.
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By the time Miguel Ullola settled things with three innings of relief, the Astros were already chasing the game and never fully got back in it. Houstons 6-3 loss left plenty of attention on how manager Joe Espada lined up his pitchers, and whether the early approach left the club too much to overcome before the offense had a chance to answer. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Face Early Wild Card Pressure With Their Ace Up Next
The opening game of the wild-card series turned into a test of endurance for Houston, and the Astros came up on the short end in a 6-3 loss to the White Sox. Chicago leaned on a bullpen game and got three scoreless innings from rookie opener Hagen Smith, while Houston had to piece together the night with eight pitchers in a game that never quite settled into a rhythm.
Now the focus shifts to Game 2, where both clubs are lining up their aces. For the Astros, that means a chance to reset the series and avoid letting an early deficit turn into real pressure, but they will need a cleaner performance after spending so many arms in the opener. [Read more 🡒]