HOUSTON — It ended loudly and suddenly and without any doubt: 12 outs remaining, two men on base, one devastating swing. The bat cracked and the ball jumped and all that was left was to watch. Twenty feet above the center-field wall, a season disappeared.
It ended fittingly. With one team doing its thing. With the other team doing it better. With one superstar striking a blow. With another striking one harder.
It ended as the improbable often does: with a fourth loss in the World Series.
