What a difference a weekend makes.
Last Friday, the Houston Astros were the laughingstock of Major League Baseball after losing six straight games and, seemingly, the National League Central Division title. The club's all-too-familiar October curse showed up just in time to derail the Astros' championship train, just like it had done in 1997, 1998 and 1999, when the Astros managed just two wins in 11 playoff games.
To add insult to injury, the sliding 'Stros had the toughest series of the season in their faces. They were a game out of first place for the first time in more than a month, facing a three-game set with the new division leader, the red-hot St. Louis Cardinals, who were eager to crush the Astros' hopes for a fourth division title in five years.
The Cardinals had the edge. With the division lead, an electric home crowd and the momentum of a freight train, St. Louis was sure to send the Astros deeper into the doldrums, and maybe even out of the postseason.
But sometime between being swept by Barry Bonds and the Giants and the first pitch in St. Louis the next night, the Astros got back on track, almost magically, and certainly uncharacteristically.
Clutch city all over again
They had been written off and labeled as "chokers" who would go down in flames with the worst collapse in franchise history. Their season was all but over. Even if Houston managed to sneak into the postseason as a wildcard, they would certainly fold in the playoffs, like they've always done before.
But on Sunday with the series knotted at one game apiece, a new Astros team emerged.
It was a team Astros fans have always hoped for, but could never call their own. It was a team that could overcome criticism and adversity, win when it mattered, and of all things - be clutch.
For once, the Astros stepped up to the plate. If there was ever one critical game that can define a team and a season, it was Sunday's season finale, a final test of wills between two bitter rivals. And for once, the Houston Astros came out on top.
It wasn't the playoffs yet, but it was certainly a playoff atmosphere.
Fittingly, two veterans and old teammates took the hill. It was ex-Longhorn Shane Reynolds, the one mainstay in the Astros revamped starting rotation, against Daryl Kile, who set sail to Colorado and then St. Louis after making a name for himself in 1997 as an Astro.
Reynolds pitched one of the better games of his career, while Kile had his worst outing of the season, as the Astros won 9-2, clinching the Central Division title.
Reynolds kept the Cardinal bats in check while the Astros' bats came alive, quieting the claims that they couldn't perform under pressure.
First it was Richard Hidalgo, a bit of a disappointment in 2001, following a breakthrough season the year before. Doggy barked with two outs in the second inning, sending a two-run homer over the left field wall, giving the Astros a 2-1 lead and a momentum they would never relinquish.
Then it was Jeff Bagwell, whose leadership has been questioned for his inability to perform in the postseason. With a mighty swing on an 0-2 count in the seventh inning, Bagwell silenced his critics and sealed the N.L. Central Crown, blasting a two-run shot of his own over the center field wall.
It was a win for the ages, and one the Astros will need to duplicate as they make a run at their first National League Pennant.
A familiar foe
With the unexpected turnaround, the Astros are in better shape than ever. For the first time in franchise history, the Astros will begin the playoffs at home, christening Enron Field as a new postseason palace.
Posting the best record in the league, along with St. Louis, the Astros have home field advantage throughout the playoffs. But to advance, they must beat the Atlanta Braves, which as Astros fans know, is not an easy task.
The Braves ended Houston's season in 1997 and 1999, showing the Astros they didn't have what it took to win. Atlanta, while shaky this year, is a formidable foe with undeniable postseason experience.
To finally overcome Atlanta, it'll take a championship-caliber effort. Coming off Sunday's monumental victory, and having the critical home field advantage, the Astros have as good a chance as ever to finally win a playoff series.
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