Culture / Sporting Life

Astros Bring the Magic Back to Minute Maid Thanks to a Baseball Vagabond’s Two-Strike Swing and Myles Straw’s Super Speed — Inside a Wild Walk-Off

Stealing a Win From a Seemingly Lost Night

BY // 04.24.21

Magic is hard to come by, even if you don’t realize it at the time. At the zenith of this Houston Astros’ run (2017 to 2019), walk-off wins and late game dramatics seemed to almost happen like clockwork, creating a seemingly endless loop of giddy, joyful celebrations. But the Minute Maid Park magic has largely gone missing since the 2019 World Series, suddenly as MIA as a Vin Diesel movie in an Oscar discussion.

It certainly was not there during the strange 60-game 2020 COVID season. Those Astros needed to get to neutral field playoffs before they started making noise — and looking like themselves. And the magic’s been no where in sight during this slog of 2021 start. But it’s back now. That’s what a baseball journeyman claimed off waivers, essentially the club’s 26 man, lofting a single into center field to cap an unlikely three run rally in the bottom of the 10th inning can do for you.

WALK OFF! Robel Garcia! Wait, who? Yes, Robel Garcia. The 28-year-old who once went to Italy to keep his baseball career alive capped this improbable comeback, mounted against the Angels’ new high-priced closer Raisel Iglesias. And Myles Straw’s super speed made it possible.

When the Astros’ own closer, Ryan Pressly, gives up two quick runs in the top of the 10th, Houston appears headed for another largely offense-less loss, one as deflating as getting socks for Christmas. Instead, the Astros are chasing after Garcia on the field, happily indoctrinating a new member into their walk-off club.

From lost and rudderless to a 5-4 win, a second straight win over one of the teams that’s going to be an American League West problem.

That’s magic.

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“I can’t remember what our best win this year is, but this could be it,” Astros starter Zack Greinke says.

You can remove the if. There are no qualifiers needed with this win for the now 9-10 Astros. It’s the best victory by a wide margin. One that carries tantalizing possibilities of lifting up a whole team. There may be 162 games in the season, but some wins mean more than others. Even in April. No matter what baseball traditionalists who attempt to appear smart by obsessing over their team’s long relief tell you.

“Especially with the way the top of the 10th played out,” Astros catcher Jason Castro says. “And then kind of coming from behind with the game on the line in the bottom half, I thought that was huge. They’re a very, very good team. And to come back and just kind of grind all game. . . To keep grinding all night and push it across at the end.

“That’s definitely one of those games that boosts morale and kind of gets everyone fired up again.”

On a night when the Oakland A’s will win their 12th straight game, a night that could have been a disaster for the Astros, they instead conjure up a little bit of that old Minute Maid Magic

It brings Minute Maid Park back alive, too. A Friday night crowd of more than 21,000 under 50 percent capacity restrictions, one that is going to stick around for the postgame fireworks show anyway, gets treated to an even earlier, more impressive Astros show. The fans are on their feet throughout the bottom of the 10th inning, giving the ballpark back some of that 2017 to 2019 feel.

“To get that momentum and win like that is going to be huge for the next couple of games or however long we can keep this thing going for,” Myles Straw tells Julia Morales in the Astros postgame TV interview.

The Myles Straw Impact

Straw initially balked at doing the interview, motioning to Astros vice president of communications Gene Dias that Walk-Off Man Robel should get the honors. But the team-first Straw is severely discounting his own contributions. There is no Robel moment without Straw using his speed twice in the bottom of the 10th to keep the Astros alive.

First, he beats out an infield single to allow Kyle Tucker to score the Astros’ first run of the inning. Then, after Castro absolutely laces a ground rule double into the right field corner to get him to third, Straw tags up and scores on a medium depth Carlos Correa fly out. There are only a few Major Leaguers who automatically score on that play. Myles Straw is one of them.

If speed kills, super speed changes everything. Straw’s 6.25 60-yard dash time — faster than even a young Mike Trout — gives him that type of speed. When the allegedly 5-foot-10 Straw, who looks like he could be lifted right off the set of a NASCAR movie, sets off for a base, churning his legs, it’s a lesson in possibilities.

“I just put my head down and ran as hard as I could,” Straw says of the infield single.

This is how you can change a game. Quickly.

From Lost to Found

For much of the night, everything seems a little off. Even the Kiss Cam is something of a disaster with only one of the “couples” shown actually going in for the kiss. It’s all hesitation and turns downs. Much like the Astros offense for a large chunk of the night. At one point, the Angels have outhit the hometown team 10 to 1.

It feels like the Astros should be getting blown out. Instead, by hook or by great fielding play, Zack Greinke keeps them in it. Yuli Gurriel knocks one over the Crawford boxes and off the sponsor wall behind them in the seventh. Somehow, they’re tied. Is the magic returning to Minute Maid?

Not quite yet. Kyle Tucker strikes out on a slider in the dirt when he cannot check his swing with two outs and two on in the bottom of the ninth inning. By the first pitch of the 10th inning, the Astros are already down 3-2, with David Fletcher drilling a Ryan Pressly slider into center field, sending the ghost runner of MLB’s extra innings rule scampering home from second.

The Astros are not done though. Not with Straw speeding, Castro slicing and Robel going walk off.

From lost to found. All in something of flash. Baker’s team scores all five of its runs from the seventh inning on.

On a night when the Oakland A’s will win their 12th straight game, a night that could have been a disaster for the Astros, they instead conjure up a little bit of that old Minute Maid Magic. Dusty Baker’s team probably should not have won this game. But they did.

Houston Astros welcomed former Astros skipper A.J. Hinch, now managing the Detroit Tigers to Minute Maid Park
Zack Greinke is a true original. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

“Greinke was Houdini tonight,” Baker says of after Houston’s 37-year-old ace throws 107 pitches, finding a way to somehow only give up two runs in seven innings while allowing 10 hits.

The Astros manager could just as easily be talking about his entire team. Including the walk-off producer. Robel Garcia might not even be on Houston’s active roster if Jose Altuve wasn’t on the COVID-19 injured list. But he is — and he makes the most of it, sending a 90 MPH change up from Iglesias into center field.

On an 0-2 count. With top two outs. For his first career walk-off hit after chasing baseball around the world.

“It was super fun,” Garcia says. “It was the first time I had a walk-off. So it was a great experience for me. Just the trust the manager had in me in that spot.”

Some magic is better than others. The Astros finally have some again at Minute Maid. Now, they just need to hold onto it. From lost to found. All in something of flash. Baker’s team scores all five of its runs from the seventh inning on. The last one with the Angels’ lifeline closer one strike from getting his team to the 11th.

That’s more than an ordinary win. In baseball, and in life, you need to catch the magic when you can.

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