The Houston Astros head into Wednesday with their season on the line after losing Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series to the Chicago White Sox, but it’s not their opponent they were mad about.
It was their own fan base.
The Astros, who came into this MLB postseason as baseball’s first-ever division winner with a .500 or worse record, entered Daikin Park in Houston to see a pretty empty stadium in comparison to past playoff matchups.
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It was quite noticeable, especially in the upper deck, that there were loads of empty seats. Daikin Park eventually announced an attendance of 34,011, with the ballpark holding a capacity of 40,963.
Could it have been the 4:10 p.m. local-time first pitch on a Tuesday? That could certainly be a factor, as MLB spaces these Wild Card Series games out for national viewing purposes despite odd weekday times that cut into a usual workday.
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Either way, Astros players were not happy when they started hearing boos rain down onto the field as the White Sox took an early lead on the road.
"It’s extremely frustrating as a home player," Astros first baseman Christian Walker admitted to The Athletic about hearing jeers from the home crowd. "We’re here, playing at home; we need cheers. We need energy. We don’t need boos. What purpose does that serve in that moment? Whatever fans are feeling, we’re feeling it tenfold. We’re the ones out there. We’re the ones in the fight. We worked our butts off this whole season to put ourselves in this spot, and for guys to get booed, it’s frustrating."
Chicago ended up taking Game 1, 6-3, in a contest that saw both teams put together a bullpen game, which favored the White Sox in the end.
One of those relievers for the Astros was Bennett Sousa, who heard boos from the crowd in the top of the seventh inning when he spiked two breaking balls.
"This team has laid a lot on the line to be in this position to give the fans a playoff game – a playoff series. We want their support," Sousa added, via the outlet.
It may not have been the best year for the Astros, but in an odd AL West division, their 81-81 record was enough to take the crown. It marked the ninth time in the last 10 years Houston has made it to the playoffs, and in that span, they’ve reached the World Series four times, winning in a controversial 2017 season due to their uncovering sign-stealing scandal, and in 2022.
The Astros were 14th this season in attendance at Daikin Park, averaging just over 30,000 fans per game.
Once again, the Astros will play at 4 p.m. local time in Houston, with Hunter Brown getting the ball. He will face Sean Burke on the mound for the White Sox.