Red Sox News: Astros watched 2004 ALCS highlights for inspiration

The Astros turned to the 2004 Red Sox for motivation in the ALCS.

The Houston Astros faced a nearly insurmountable challenge after dropping the first three games of the American League Championship Series to the Tampa Bay Rays. I say “nearly” because the 2004 Boston Red Sox proved it’s not impossible to overcome this type of deficit.

With their backs against the walls on the verge of elimination, Astros players turned to that historic Red Sox team for inspiration. According to SportsRadio610′s Adam Spolane, Astros infielders Alex Bregman and Carlos Correa watched “Four Days in October,” the ESPN 30-for-30 documentary chronicling Boston’s epic comeback against the New York Yankees in the 2004 ALCS.

The story of Astros players watching highlights from the documentary was mentioned during the broadcast of Game 6 on Friday. Correa reportedly said it was “inspiring” to see the Red Sox battle back to overcome improbable odds.

The Astros infield duo watched the 30-for-30 documentary after winning Game 4 to stave off elimination. Despite the steep challenge they still faced, the ’04 Red Sox reminded them that the series wasn’t over yet. As long as they remained alive in the postseason, they would keep fighting.

Correa hit a walk-off home run to win Game 5 for the Astros, bringing them to within one win of evening the series with the Rays. The moment was reminiscent of the walk-off base hit by David Ortiz in Game 5 of the ’04 ALCS.

The Red Sox jumped out to a four-run lead in Game 6 of the ’04 ALCS. While the Yankees would chip away at that lead by scoring one run in the seventh inning and another in the eighth, Boston’s bullpen would end up hanging on for the win.

In similar fashion, the Astros led by four runs after six innings in their Game 6. Houston tacked on two more in the seventh inning before the Rays tried to rally behind a pair of homers by Manuel Margot – a solo shot in the bottom of the seventh followed by a two-run shot in the eighth. The Astros bullpen managed to squash the comeback attempt to preserve the win and tie the series, much like the Red Sox had done.

Houston joins the ’04 Red Sox as the only MLB teams to force a Game 7 after trailing by three games in a postseason series. Boston capped their thrilling comeback with a 10-3 thrashing of the Yankees in Game 7. The Astros will continue following Boston’s blueprint while trying to do the same.

There are a few similarities that can be drawn between this year’s Astros team and the ’04 Red Sox but there are also stark differences.

The Red Sox were considered underdogs to the powerhouse Yankees. Boston had endured an 86-year title drought and they had their hearts broken on this same stage the previous year against the Bronx Bombers. The charismatic bunch of “idiots” were easy to root for and their story of overcoming the odds made them legends.

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This time, the Astros are the villains of the story. Houston is reviled for the cheating scandal that dominated headlines earlier this year. While the Astros cleaned house by dismissing their former manager and general manager in the wake of the suspensions that MLB imposed on them, many of the players on this team were part of that tainted group.

Essentially everyone outside of Houston is rooting against the Astros while the small-market Rays are the scrappy underdogs trying to vanquish their star-studded opponent. Tampa Bay is aiming for their first championship in franchise history. The Rays haven’t even existed for 86 years so they can’t quite understand the misery that Red Sox fans felt prior to 2004 but they can relate better than an Astros team that won three years ago.

The ’04 Red Sox battled in a competitive AL East to secure a Wild Card spot with 98 wins. This year’s Astros team stumbled through a shortened season while posting a losing record (29-31). They were gifted a payoff spot by virtue of the expanded postseason format and playing in a weak division where the AL West-leading Oakland A’s were the only other viable contender.

Boston had to earn the final two victories of their epic comeback by venturing into the lion’s den on the road in Yankee Stadium. This year’s ALCS is played on neutral ground in San Diego, mitigating the drama and providing a far easier path than the Red Sox had to take.

The Red Sox carried the momentum from the ALCS into the World Series where they swept the St. Louis Cardinals in four games. Even if Houston manages to become the second team to overcome an 0-3 deficit, they will be underdogs against the Dodgers or Braves in the Fall Classic. It would be shocking if the Astros beat either of those team, let alone sweep them.

The ’04 Red Sox were a team of destiny that lifted the spirits of a long-suffering fan base by proving that anything was possible. The Astros winning would be a nightmare for most of the nation, leading us to wonder why karma didn’t intervene to strike them down.

Houston has an opportunity to match what Boston did 16 years ago by winning a postseason series they trailed 0-3 but this Astros club will never be an equal to the ’04 Red Sox.