HOUSTON — The ball rocketed off Jeremy Pena’s bat at a speed and trajectory that made its result a given.
As for its final destination, well, that was interrupted by the lowest of three massive metal pennants sitting about 50 feet above the left field playing surface of Minute Maid Park, bolted to one of the light stanchions. The decorative flags with the words “American League Champsion” signify each time the Astros have represented their league in the World Series — 2005 (National League), 2019 and 2021 (American League) but didn’t win. A gold 2017 pennant with the words “World Series Champions” sits on their other stanchion.
Pena’s towering two-run homer in the sixth inning, which crushed Seattle’s comeback hopes and cemented a 3-0 win for the Astros, smacked off the 2021 pennant — a fitting piece of symbolism that the Astros (12-11) are the reigning AL champs and the bullies of the American League West.
