Houston Astros’ Heart and Determination Remains Undefeated — How Chas McCormick & Friends Stunned the Rangers For Another Signature Win

No matter how hard they’ve been hit, no matter how many guys are out, no matter how much their devoted fans are losing their damn minds on Twitter, the Houston Astros always pick themselves up off the mat. And keep fighting. Together. With whoever they’ve got. The heart and determination of these Golden Age Astros remains undefeated.

Add another no-way signature victory to the list for Jose Altuve, Kyle Tucker, Chas McCormick and Co. Make no mistake. That is exactly what a 12-11 fall-from-way-ahead, then-roar-back victory over the stunned Texas Rangers in North Texas’ spaceship of a ballpark on the Monday before the Fourth of July is.

Another big Astros moment in a reign that just keeps producing more and more of them.

Pity the poor Texas Rangers. With all their renewed talent and Bruce Bochy belief, they really thought they had the Astros this time. Having erased every bit of a 10-2 Astros lead and taking a 11-10 lead into the ninth inning, the Rangers stood poised to steal a split in this four game series and secure a five game lead in the American League West. You might as well have started sizing up a nice shrink’s couch for Dusty Baker’s team.

But. . . wait! The Astros heart is still beating, still fighting, still pushing to drive another opponent mad.

“We’ve got a lot of really good players,” McCormick told PaperCity earlier this summer when I asked him what allows these Astros to keep pulling off special moments despite injuries and other concerns. “Everybody kind of fills their role. And we’ve got good balance in hitters. And good balance in young players and older players. I think we jell really well.

“We’ve been doing this for a couple of years now. With some of the same players.”

And the newer players just seem to keep getting folded into the winning ways. Joining this Astros clubhouse seems to be as comforting as getting tucked under a weighted blanket. Grandmas don’t make you feel this welcome. Even Jose Abreu finally may be making himself a little at home.

On this day in Arlington, it’s fittingly Chas McCormick, the part-timer whose big moments (playoffs included) keeps screaming he needs to be a full-time starter, who drives in the winning run in the ninth. McCormick’s double follows a Kyle Tucker single (his fourth hit of the game) and a Abreu double (his second extra base hit and fourth RBI of the afternoon). It comes off Rangers closer-in-limbo and former short-time Astro Will Smith, who seems to be well on his way to losing the closer role in Texas to new acquisition Aroldis Chapman.

“That’s kind of the nature of this team. Somebody feels a little down — or like they need a little extra — somebody’s always picking them up.” — Astros outfielder Corey Julks

McCormick also helps secure the win with a diving catch in the bottom of the ninth. It’s not that epic World Series catch in Philadelphia that has him meeting the wall and imprinting himself in the dirt. But it’s another moment.

It’s All Astros. All Heart. All Determination.

Yes, the Rangers have six All Stars this season. Yes, the Astros have only two (Yordan Alvarez and Framber Valdez), neither of whom figures to be healthy enough to even play in the game. But the Astros still have something extra, something Bruce Bochy’s team cannot conjure up no matter how hard they try.

Championship mettle. Big game guts. And a DNA that no baseball lab can replicate.

“This team is very resilient — and they come to play,” Baker says in his postgame press conference.

Blowing a 10-2 lead and then recovering to still win the game is not easy. Losing that kind of advantage is like taking a sucker punch to the side of the head. Wooziness seemingly guaranteed. Normal baseball teams do not right themselves from that in time to win.

These Astros do.

You can knock these Astros down. In fact, it’s undoubtably easier to do that than ever in this 2023 season when nothing is guaranteed for this near modern dynasty of a Houston team. But you’d better be ready for the Astros when they pick themselves up off the ground.

The Rangers have no final answer on this Monday. Now, the Astros are suddenly only three games behind a 50-35 Texas team that’s led a charmed offensive life.

For Bochy and Co., it’s the frightening equivalent of seeing Ken pop up in their backseat, grinning.

All Astros. All Heart. All Determination.

Yes, the Rangers have six All Stars this season. Yes, the Astros have only two (Yordan Alvarez and Framber Valdez), neither of whom figures to be healthy enough to even play in the game. But the Astros still have something extra, something Bruce Bochy’s team cannot conjure up no matter how hard they try.

Astros Wins That Spread

This is what the joy of being an Astros fan in this golden age is. No matter where they are — and based on the crowds often stranded at the airport, plenty of Astros fans are spread far and wide this Fourth of July holiday weekend — word of the Altuve, Tucker, McCormick and Co. doing something will reach them. Whether it’s to the beach, the backyard barbecue or even some foreign land, Astros wins like this travel.

The special ones resonate a little differently.

From up 10-2 to down 11-10 to 12-11 winners certainly qualifies. Another signature win. Another moment for a franchise that just keeps stacking more up.

These Astros just know how to do this. Still. No matter how hobbled and hindered they may be. Even with new faces coming in.

“That’s kind of the nature of this team,” University of Houston Astros outfielder Corey Julks told me earlier this summer. “Somebody feels a little down — or like they need a little extra — somebody’s always picking them up. We’re always picking up each other.

“And we’re always doing what we need to do to win.”

With heart, determination and irreplicable championship know how.