Astros 103 wins as big as the Red Sox 108 wins

The Astros won the World Series after letting J.D. Martinez leave without receiving anything in return.

They were still good enough without one of the best baseball hitters.

When the franchise restored by Jeff Luhnow and Jim Crane won his first championship – exceeding the deadline, exceeding the usual teams and counting several centuries of combined history – the famous Boston Red Sox defeated the playoffs in hiring Alex Cora, who was previously employed as AJ Hinch's coach.

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The brilliant 2017 trophy that will always belong to the city of Houston is the proof. The general overhaul of the Astros has taken off. They have been tested by the Red Sox, the Yankees, the Dodgers, a controversy over trading delays and a hurricane, and they have overcome everything.

But here we are again.

The Houston club against the Boston club. A national stage in prime time for the 2018 series of the American League. And although the 103 Astros victories have set a franchise record in terms of regular season wins, have the best pitching staff in the sport, have just swept Cleveland in the AL Division series and are the defending champions of baseball, there was more than a little truth in this:

"In one way or another, we're going into the underdog series," Hinch said Wednesday at Minute Maid Park while waiting for a series of dreams for MLB began.

He was joking.

Kind of.

"I think we have the best team, but now we have to prove it and prove it," Hinch said. "You have to win four games against the team that has had the most wins in the league. This is in itself a challenge. "

Baseball should have no problem promoting this pairing.

Hall of Famers potential. Power of modern launch angle; old-fashioned power, defense and speed.

"15 or 20 family names"

The par excellence player of AL 2017, the likely AL player of 18-18, the supreme confidence of Alex Bregman, the defeat of Craig Kimbrel and the former Astros (Martinez, Cora) having led the 108 wins of the Red Sox to the biggest win of the regular season franchise story. This series has it all, easily eclipsing the Dodgers-Brewers pair in the National League series.

Proving how special and memorable this ALCS was, Hinch proudly ran all his big names: Jose Altuve, George Springer, Carlos Correa, Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, Dallas Keuchel, Bregman.

The Astros manager then paid tribute to the team that will host the first match on Saturday night at Fenway Park.

"I think we're going to go back to the names of both sides in the coming years and realize that there is a tremendous amount of quality and attraction game featured for this series," Hinch said. . "It's about the players. You can name two managers and two coaches. But you can declaim 15 or 20 personalities in this series whose baseball should be proud. "

Five seasons after their 51-111 build, the Astros have won the luxury of waiting while the Yankees and Red Sox compete. And even with the 108 wins over Boston and the 27-14 cumulative reversal of New York in ALDS, the Hinch Astros – deeper, more experienced, battle-hardened, but still hungry and motivated – are the smart choice for four more wins in October and a round trip ticket to the fall classic.

Cora was forced to turn to the ALCS match 1 player, Chris Sale, relieved to stand up to the Yankees. Hinch did not even need Charlie Morton, one of the most powerful Astros arms and winner of the World Series Game 7 last season, to sweep the Indians.

The Boston office does not inspire public trust. The last time the Astros played a playoff game at Fenway, Bregman screamed from a canoe and the Hinch Celebration Club posed for photos in the rain of October. John Farrell was fired two days later, leading Boston to Cora.

"We won last year. We always think we are the team to beat. We are very confident in this club, "said Bregman, who has become the spokesman for the best orange and blue in 2018." We also know that we have a tough job ahead of us, and if we want to get to where we want go, we have to do it not after the first game.

"It will be a fun environment to play in Boston. They have big fans. They are in all terrains. They know the game of baseball, much like our fans are here. Houston fans are incredible. "

Rule on the road

It has become so easy to believe in the Astros.

We are waiting for the ALCS and are waiting for the World Series. You choose them in five, six or seven years – the last is my selection – and you indicate the best record on the road of the sport (57-24).

They can miss Martinez and end up with a ring. They lose Cora against the Red Sox, then return to Verlander with Cole and convert 101 wins in 103 wins.

Boston has history and receives the national spotlight. If this ALCS carries its combined 211 wins, the Red Sox will be the most formidable competitor that the Hinch club has faced since the Astros have again won in 2015. It is obviously foolish to overlook a team of 108 victories.

But by the time October reaches its next stage and the defending champions head north, know this: baseball is still trying to figure out how to defeat the Astros.