The Astros got a tough taste of reality on Tuesday when they dropped Game 1 of the AL wild-card series against the White Sox. Despite having home-field advantage in the series, fans in Houston didn’t rally behind the team after it fell into an early deficit. Quite the opposite, in fact. Fans at Daikin Park made abundantly clear that they weren’t pleased with the performance on the field, as boos rung out across the stadium as early as the first inning.
For a franchise that’s enjoyed a phenomenal decade with plenty of postseason success, it’s never been more apparent that the Astros’ golden era is drawing to a close. Since 2017, Houston has been to the postseason nine times in 10 seasons, only missing out last year. They’ve made four trips to the World Series in that span and won two championships. And throughout their successful decade, their fans have been a constant, cheering them on loudly as they fought through the gauntlet that is the MLB postseason, and even standing by them during the infamous sign-stealing scandal that made the organization a pariah in the sport—and thus made its fans easy punching bags for their peers.
