With the Astros heading into their second World Series berth in three seasons Tuesday night at Minute Maid Park, this time against the Nationals, there is just one way for them to lose — the long ball.
Homering against Astros pitchers has taken the team’s opponents the distance in the 2019 postseason.
Kevin Kiermaier and the Rays got close when they faced the Astros in the American League Division Series, where the AL Wild Card winners took the AL West champions the whole nine yards in an eventual five-game Houston win.
In a rough Game 3 start for Zack Greinke, Kiermaier and two other Rays hit home runs off the 36-year-old, sparking a series comeback that pushed the Astros to the brink of elimination.