As thrilled as I am with this postseason run, the Twins were favored in the Wild Card round, and the A’s were favored in the ALDS. I don’t see any reason why the Astros aren’t still the underdogs.
A five game series began to tax and expose the Astros’ thin pitching bullpen, which had been largely masked in a three game series. A seven game series (and in seven days!) will only tax and expose it further. The Astros do have some good starting pitching, but it doesn’t compare to the Rays’ formidable front trio of Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Charlie Morton.