2016 Houston Astros Regular Season

Did I mention I was happy? You know, about the Rangers getting bounced from the playoffs? I'm sure I did.

The rest of the playoffs resumed yesterday with the Dodgers-Nationals and Cubs-Giants in both NLDS games as well as what turned out to be the final game of the Boston-Cleveland ALDS series with Cleveland pulling out the broom on Boston with a 4-3 win. Both ALDS series were won in sweeps so Cleveland will be facing Toronto in the ALCS final beginning Friday.

The NLDS tilt between the Nationals and Dodgers was a fairly one sided affair with the Nats winning 8-3 in the first game played yesterday. The Nationals lead the series now 2 games to 1 with the next game scheduled for tonight.

The other NLDS game between the Giants and Cubs was the final game of the day yesterday and the outcome was still in question when I went to bed as the game didn't begin until 8:30. It also featured probably the most celebrated pitching match up in any series so far, even better than the Kershaw-Scherzer Game 1 in the Dodgers-Nationals series. Unlike that pitcher's duel last night's game that featured the Giants Madison Baumgarner and the Cubs Jake Arieta was not the same. Neither pitcher figured in the outcome of the game which turned out to be a series saving win for the Giants who beat the Cubs to stave off elimination with a 6-5 win in the first game played in San Francisco. That doesn't mean the game wasn't an exciting one as it took 13 innings and two blown saves, one by each team before the final outcome was reached. In the bottom of the 13th the Giants ended things abruptly with back to back doubles to lead off the inning the second 2 bagger by Joe Panik (great name and totally ironic to the situation) off Cubs reliever Mike Montgomery, was the game winner. The series continues in San Fran tonight with the Cubs sending Jon Lackey to the mound facing off against the Giants Matt Moore.

I feel like this thread should have come to an end about a week ago. So I am making my final post in this thread. This season has had its moments but by and large it was basically 6 months of frustration with no payoff in the end. Basically, Astros fans are the Amy Farrah Fowler of the sports world. Farewell 2016 regular season and don't come back.