Thank God for the Astros.

Part 5 of my 18 part series about the makings of a champion.

May 21-31
Record: 7-3
Overall Record: 32-18
AL West Position: 1st place, 5 game lead


Game 41, May 21, 2022, Astros 2, Rangers 1
@ Minute Maid Park
Attendance: 37,187
Record 26-15


Justin Verlander was friggin' brilliant yet again, pitching 6 scoreless innings and striking out 8 batters, and getting just enough offense for the Astros to nudge the Rangers 2-1. Verlander improved to 6-1 with a 1.22 ERA. The Astros struck first in the bottom of the first with an RBI single by Yordan Alvarez that scored Jose Siri. Jason Castro doubled to lead off the fifth and scored on a wild pitch for what would be the game-deciding run. Castro got his average up to .103 with the two-base hit, but the lineup as a whole continued to struggle, with only Michael Brantley (.289) and Jeremy Pena (.279) hitting above .260 41 games into the season.


Game 42, May 22, 2022, Astros 5, Rangers 2
@ Minute Maid Park
Attendance: 38,745
Record 27-15


Jose Urquidy torched the Rangers for 10 strikeouts in 6-and- innings, and Jose Altuve had a double and a home run in a 5-2 victory. Altuve homered to lead off the bottom of the first against Taylor Hearn, and Alex Bregman doubled in Altuve in the bottom of the third to make it 2-0. After Mitch Garver cut it to 2-1 with a solo shot in the top of the fifth, the Astros got RBI doubles from Yordan Alvarez and Yuli Gurriel to push the lead to 4-1.Jeremy Pena added an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth. Pena went 2 for 4 to up his average to .286 and his OPS to .851, third on the team behind Altuve (.941) and Alvarez (.939).


Game 43, May 23, 2022, Guardians 6, Astros 1
@ Minute Maid Park
Attendance: 28.284
Record: 27-16


The most PC team in the league made the Astros look bad. The good guys managed just 1 run on 4 hits and committed 2 errors in an ugly home loss. Only Alex Bregman's sixth home run of the season kept it from being a shutout. Luis Garcia did himself in, allowing two unearned runs in the top of the third with a fielding error. Myles Straw, one half of the unstoppable former force known as McStrawmick, was 1-for-4 with 2 runs scored and a walk.


Game 44, May 24, 2022, Astros 7, Guardians 2
@ Minute Maid Park
Attendance: 26,621
Record 28-16


The Astros' offense bounced back with 7 runs in a three-inning stretch to knock off the Indians. The good guys made the most of nine hits, with Jeremy Pena and Jose Altuve each recording two, raising their respective averages to .293 and .289. Framber Valdex got the win, allowing 3 earned runs in 7 innings. The Astros trailed 1-0 until Alex Bregman's double scored Martin Madonado, the fleet-footed #9 hitter who had been hit by a pitch with two outs, and Jose Altuve. Chazzy Fizzy put the Astros ahead 3-1 with an RBI double in the bottom of the fourth, and the team tacked on 4 in the fifth with an RBI single by Yordan Alvarez and a three-run bomb by King Tuck, his eighth of the year, giving him 29 RBI to take the team lead.


Game 45 May 25, 2022, Astros 2, Guardians 1
@ Minute Maid Park
Attendance: 25,412
Record 29-16


The Astros took 2 of 3 from the Guardians with another masterful pitching performance. Cristian Javier struck out 9 in 5- innings, allowing just 4 base runners, and the bullpen did the rest. The Astros took a 1-0 lead in the fifth on a weird play as Jose Siri scored on a line-out double play by Michael Brantley that scored Jose Siri from third but caught Jose Alutve trying to go to second. Jason Castro doubled the lead to 2-0 with a sac fly in the last of the sixth.


Game 46, May 27, 2022, Mariners 6, Astros 1
@ T-Mobile Park
Attendance: 26,017
Record 29-17


The reeling Mariners slapped the Astros with 4 runs in the bottom of the first off Justin Verlander and cruised to a 6-1 victory. Verlander allowed 6 earned runs and 10 hits in 6 innings while Chris Flexen dominated the Astros, allowing just 1 earned run over 7 innings. Verlander allowed a pair of two-run homers in the first inning to Julio Rodriguez and Kyle Lewis. The Mariners improve to 19-27 with the win.


Game 47, May 28, 2022, Mariners 5, Astros 0
@ T-Mobile Park
Attendance: 24,007
Record 29-18


The Mariners made the Astros look like a bunch of no-talent ass clowns for a second straight game, as Houston got shut out, only got five hits and committed two errors. The Mariners pounced on Jose Urquidy for three runs in the first two innings including a Kyle Lewis homer. Urquidy gave up 12 hits and 5 earned runs in just 4- innings. Alex Bregman was 2 for 3 while the rest of the lineup went 3-for-29.


Game 48, May 29, 2022, Astros 2, Mariners 1
@ T-Mobile Park
Attendance: 28,986
Record: 30-18


The Astros broke a 2-game slide with a win in an old-fashioned pitching duel. Luis Garcia was shiny, giving up 1 run on 4 hits in 6 innings with 6 strikeouts, and Rafael Montero got the win in relief ahead of Ryan Pressly's eighth save. Houston took a 1-0 lead on Jeremy Pena's second-inning home run and broke it on an Yordan Alvarez RBI single in the top of the eighth. "Those two guys got lucky," Mariners' manager Scott Servais said. "Let's see Pena and Alvarez beat us in games that actually matter."


Game 49, May 30, 2022, Astros 5, A's 1
@ RingCentral Coliseum
Attendance: 8,753
Record: 31-18


I don't know which is better, that attendance figure or the fact that I had no idea the A's stadium was called RIngCentral Coliseum. Regardless, a crowd the size of two 6A high schools rolled up to see the A's crank out two hits in a 5-1 loss to the good guys as Framber Valdez approved to 5-2. Framber pitched a complete-game and struck out seven. Yordan Alvarez hit two solo home runs to get to 14 on the year and Jose Altuve added his 10th, a 2-run shot.

Game 50, May 31, 2022, Astros 3, A's 1
@ RingCentral Coliseum
Attendance: 3,469
Record: 32-18

A crowd of pretty much everyone you've ever met turned out to see the A's make it 2 runs in 2 games in a close loss to the Astros. Rafael Montero moved to 3-0 with a relief win. Down 1-0 after four innings, the Astros tied the game with a 2-out RBI single by Chazzy Fizzy. Chas gave the team the lead with a solo home run to lead off the top of the eighth, and Alex Bregman's bases-loaded walk made it 3-1.

The Milkman said:

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Does anyone have this beanie and they don't want it or won't be wearing it because you live in Texas? I live in the cold and think mine was lost and I'm pretty devastated. Would love to buy it off you with shipping . Even if its been worn

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Eww, you know the **** that lives in peoples hair and scalps?

Keeper of The Spirits said:

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The Ranger thread was on top and that's even more unacceptable than mentioning the Tine football team on this thread, so TTT

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If you're going to bump, at least provide some type of content, comment, or opinion. Like so:

I think about Abreu dotting Stanton all the time pic.twitter.com/BB2lgKuaUb

— Space City Sports (@LiveSCS) January 9, 2023

Man, I hope he keeps it up next season. Was a beast most of the year.

I don't know about the beanie, but I would like to get my hands on those socks.

Congratulations to @chazzyfizzz and @CourtneyZad on their recent engagement!!!! pic.twitter.com/CdVViiV0Ny

— Michael Schwab (@michaelschwab13) January 9, 2023

The pristine sands of Galveston

EastCoastAgNc said:

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Congratulations to @chazzyfizzz and @CourtneyZad on their recent engagement!!!! pic.twitter.com/CdVViiV0Ny

— Michael Schwab (@michaelschwab13) January 9, 2023

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Looks like a scene from the Bachelor lol

EastCoastAgNc said:

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Congratulations to @chazzyfizzz and @CourtneyZad on their recent engagement!!!! pic.twitter.com/CdVViiV0Ny

— Michael Schwab (@michaelschwab13) January 9, 2023

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He needed to layout on the rose petals like this after she (presumably) said yes:

PrestigeWorldwideAg12 said:

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EastCoastAgNc said:

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Congratulations to @chazzyfizzz and @CourtneyZad on their recent engagement!!!! pic.twitter.com/CdVViiV0Ny

— Michael Schwab (@michaelschwab13) January 9, 2023

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Looks like a scene from the Bachelor lol

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Nice work, Chaz Fizz

Jorge Alfaro stood at home plate until the ball landed and then fired his bat into the dugout. The olds are furious. pic.twitter.com/wLQmmPwsmI

— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) January 10, 2023

We gunna get him on the cheap still?

The Porkchop Express said:

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redline248 said:

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Keeper of The Spirits said:

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I forget that some of you yahoos have notifications for this thread. Those guy got me a 24 hour ban for "live posting" game 5 2017 5 years later on an off.

Oh whine my notifications

I'll post that video so I don't catch another ban

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I can't believe you got banned for that...

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I once got banned for typing " your favorite character dies" on the game of thrones non spoiler thread without saying a character name.

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The entertainment board crowd might be the most sensitive group on this website.