When the ALCS dust finally settled, the Houston Astros were, regrettably, not in the winner’s position. The Texas Rangers won game 7 and grabbed the pennant in the American League, handily defeating the defending champions once again at home.

The Astros were under a lot of pressure to win the series at home and prevent a season-ending loss, but Cristian Javier’s dismal outing on the mound hurt their chances. Javier had to be lifted off the mound after the Rangers scored three runs in the first inning with only one out.

The Astros then saw a worse fourth inning as reliever J.P. France gave up four runs on five hits. That made the game unachievable for the Astros. They made an early attempt to chase Max Scherzer, but Bruce Bochy made wise management choices, benching the seasoned starter in the third inning as soon as he felt pressured.

The Astros were completely destroyed by the Rangers bullpen, who completed the task. The Rangers’ explosive lineup continued to pour on the runs in the meantime. Against reliever Bryan Abreu in the sixth inning, Nathaniel Lowe hit a home run. Abreu had just struck Mitch Garver in the ribs when this happened

The Rangers added on their 9-2 triumph in game 6 by winning 11-4 in the end. With identical records during the regular season, the two in-state rivals couldn’t be separated, so it was a fitting conclusion.

But following the defeat, Astros supporters were furious and vented their frustration on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The Astros’ season-ending run is defined by their home losses.

This particular series was unusual in that the road team won all seven games. That was a metaphor for the season for the Houston Astros, who have been excellent away from Minute Maid Park but have fallen short at home. They finished the regular season in Space City with a 39–42 record, and they were only able to win one game in the postseason.