And just like that, the season has come to an end. The Houston Astros once again faltered at Minute Maid Park in October, losing Game 2 of their AL Wild Card series, resulting in a surprising sweep by the underdog Detroit Tigers. This marks seven consecutive home playoff defeats for Houston, setting the stage for an offseason filled with uncertainty.
But before we delve into that, it’s time to assign blame. There’s no shortage of it after a season-ending loss like this, from Joe Espada’s bullpen decisions to an offense loaded with stars that managed only two runs over two games. Here are the four Astros who underperformed the most in the series.
4. Josh Hader
Let’s address the obvious first: Hader was Houston’s prized free-agent acquisition, signed for $95 million to strengthen the bullpen and help shorten games in October. However, when it was time to execute that plan, the left-hander struggled. After Ryan Pressly allowed the tying run in the eighth inning, Espada brought in Hader with two on and two outs to extinguish the threat. Instead, Hader made things worse, walking Spencer Torkelson and then surrendering a bases-clearing double to Andy Ibáñez, effectively putting the game out of reach.
ANDY IBÁÑEZ CLEARS THE BASES!
THE GRITTY TIGS!!! pic.twitter.com/D0eYmY8Mjj
— MLB (@MLB) October 2, 2024
This is far from what the team had in mind when it signed Hader during the offseason. The struggles of both Hader and Pressly, not just in this series but also throughout the regular season, raise questions about what steps Houston will take to strengthen its bullpen in the upcoming offseason.
3. Kyle Tucker
The primary issue here is the offense, which continues to struggle with scoring at home in the postseason. While there are several players who could be mentioned, Kyle Tucker stands out: the All-Star went 0-for-7 with a walk over the two games, including a critical, inning-ending double play in the seventh inning of Game 2 that killed a Houston rally and kept the deficit at just one run.
It’s worth noting that Tucker didn’t have much time to regain form after returning from a mysterious shin injury that sidelined him for much of the regular season. However, Tucker and Yordan Alvarez are expected to be the offensive leaders as the older core phases out, and this isn’t the first time Tucker has disappeared in October. He’s now 6-for-47 over his last two postseasons, with no home runs and only one RBI.
2. Framber Valdez
The Astros knew they’d face a tough challenge in Game 1 against Tarik Skubal. However, they had their own ace in Framber Valdez, who’s expected to receive some Cy Young votes by season’s end.
There was just one issue: while Skubal lived up to expectations, Valdez did not, giving up three runs and lasting only 4.1 innings. This has become a troubling trend, as Valdez also struggled in last year’s postseason with a 9.00 ERA over three starts. These are the players the Astros are counting on to lead them into a new era of contention, but their inability to perform under pressure is concerning.
1. Joe Espada
Ultimately, there’s little that can be done when your stars fail to perform at their level. However, Espada shouldn’t escape criticism either: his management of the bullpen in these two games was questionable at best. He opted to use Hader while trailing by three runs in Game 1, which meant he risked having him pitch on back-to-back days for Game 2. Additionally, in Wednesday’s loss, he chose the aging Pressly to start the eighth inning instead of the clearly more effective Bryan Abreu.
While A.J. Hinch was making strategic adjustments from the opposing dugout, Espada appeared stuck in a routine, unable to shift his approach from what had worked during the regular season.
