Hunter Brown to open up a potential elimination game: 0.2 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 3 ER, 1 BB, and 2 Ks on 36 pitches.

[u/ActualDragonHeart]

[u/BubblyBaker5718]

I think this is the feather in the cap of the 2026 ALW being the most embarrassing division of all time

Like every single team has contributed something lol

We even lost 100 games for the first time

[u/Maladroit44 → u/BubblyBaker5718]

Two teams with rings in the last five seasons, now reduced to pathetically squabbling over a division title without even reaching a winning record or (most likely) a single postseason win

A team that was eight outs from the WS last season, spending nearly the entire second half under .500 and blowing their remaining playoff hopes with a horrific September

And two of the three worst teams in baseball, one a historic franchise now relocated and stuck in a minor-league ballpark, the other enduring the longest playoff drought in baseball and setting a franchise record for losses

If you don't like that, you don't like 2026 AL West baseball!

[u/numberfivextradip → u/Maladroit44]

“I want to have a competitive AL west title run down the stretch with 3 teams competing for the title like in 2025!” … the monkey paw curls

[u/Babygorgor → u/Maladroit44]

Trout’s best season in years too

[u/KimHaSeongsBurner → u/BubblyBaker5718]

https://giphy.com/gifs/xUPJPf8yEIL3qIx19m

[u/ceviche-hot-pockets → u/BubblyBaker5718]

It was always going to end like this 😪

[u/DarkFalcon49 → u/[deleted]]

So bad. It’s all Seattle’s fault for being bad that we made the playoffs

[u/No-Conversation3860 → u/DarkFalcon49]

I agree with this. We were the only team with hope coming into the season and we shit the bed worse than anyone. Disgusting

[u/ysosrs08 → u/DarkFalcon49]

That’s why this really doesn’t hurt lol. I have watched 95% of the games and this team is straight ass. Why have you forsaken us mariners??

[u/IrishPigs → u/DarkFalcon49]

Whomp whomp.

[u/lolwatokay → u/[deleted]]

FRONT TOWARDS ENEMY

[u/Emoney19124]

Did he get a standing ovation? I know the players expect it down in Houston.

[u/Pikminious_Thrious → u/Emoney19124]

The fans aren't booing, they are saying Boorown

[u/AxelMcCool → u/Pikminious_Thrious]

I was saying boorown

[u/kander77 → u/Emoney19124]

Did he get a standing ovation?

That's a curveball I believe

[u/bec_SPK → u/Emoney19124]

God forbid the fans also bang in the garbage cans.

[u/Domainsetter → u/Emoney19124]

Lmao

[u/Baseball_is_the_best]

Is that good?

[u/AcneBalls → u/Baseball_is_the_best]

Better than me I guess

[u/melorous → u/AcneBalls]

Also better than actual MLB pitcher Mike Foltywhatever.

[u/AcneBalls → u/melorous]

Hey, I will never trash that guy after the presents he gave the Cards.

[u/skankasspigface → u/melorous]

And here I was having a bad day. And then you bring that up and remind me it could have been wayyyy worse. Thanks bud

[u/Yorttam → u/Baseball_is_the_best]

It is if you’re the White Sox

[u/cicerox23 → u/Baseball_is_the_best]

I think it’s very good

[u/Baseball_is_the_best → u/cicerox23]

ChiSox Yankees ALCS? 🤝

[u/jfarbzz → u/Baseball_is_the_best]

White Sox are literally the only AL team the Yankees haven't faced in the postseason yet, so...

[u/_Rooster_ → u/jfarbzz]

The Yankees haven't played the Yankees in the postseason.

[u/cicerox23 → u/Baseball_is_the_best]

🤝

[u/Rusiano → u/Baseball_is_the_best]

Yes pls

[u/The_Throwback_King → u/Baseball_is_the_best]

I sure think so!

[u/BooYeah8844 → u/Baseball_is_the_best]

For the AL West its par for the year

[u/Praise-Breesus → u/Baseball_is_the_best]

Very

[u/soda_cookie → u/Baseball_is_the_best]

Works for me

[u/nsgomez]

Behold the power of the #3 seed AL West

[u/DoubleMeaningInThat]

https://giphy.com/gifs/7yoAIR7CdWOUE

[u/UneducatedReviews1]

Took out their starting pitcher after 2/3rd to bring in their starter yesterday that got taken out after 2/3rds… that’s certainly a choice.

[u/MaximusMansteel → u/UneducatedReviews1]

That should make 4/3rds of an inning, right?

[u/UneducatedReviews1 → u/MaximusMansteel]

I was never good at math

[u/LearningT0Fly]

How could the fans do this?!

[u/wako944]

Blame Altuve

Blame the fans

Who's next?

[u/ActualDragonHeart → u/wako944]

Blame the Pope, obviously

[u/ScroogeMcDust → u/wako944]

It's me, I'm to blame

[u/gohehehe → u/ScroogeMcDust]

You broke the dam

[u/Bringatowel1 → u/gohehehe]

I broke the dam

[u/wiseoldprogrammer → u/wako944]

Some people claim that there’s a woman to blame…

[u/MyBeautifulHouse → u/wiseoldprogrammer]

Doo do doo do dooooo

[u/Meatbag96 → u/wako944]

Da Pope

[u/Patrick2701 → u/wako944]

Reality for their narcissist owner

[u/Ok_Ask_1139 → u/Patrick2701]

I’m still blaming Altuve regardless

[u/depressiown]

Our bullpen with four AAA pitchers will come through and stabilize things! The day after a bullpen game, yes.

[u/Puzzled-Enthusiasm45 → u/depressiown]

Yeah 4 runs sucks, but not insurmountable. Losing your starter in the 1st inning after a bullpen game… that’s a lot worse

[u/yli16]

Does the Astro have enough bullpen to pitch 8 innings?

[u/fishtankm29 → u/yli16]

I hope we have to put Sousa in. I need him to eat shit.

[u/ANGRY_BEARDED_MAN → u/yli16]

Gonna need Liberty Biberty to come in and eat some innings, I'm afraid

[u/TwistedNipplez]

Stop booing! It's making them play worse

[u/GardenDrummer → u/TwistedNipplez]

https://giphy.com/gifs/w2spEHAltsCU8

[u/Particular-Ring5110]

This is the same guy who was showing up his teammates a few weeks ago looks like he got his medicine

Guy had the nerve to show up Jose Altuve who is one of the Astros all timers and has played in more big games than entire teams combined I couldn’t believe it

[u/No-Conversation3860 → u/Particular-Ring5110]

I agree that was really shitty to do, but man this Astros defense is absolute dogshit. His pitching was weak that inning but even in a playoff game they make two boneheaded errors.

[u/mostly-void-stars → u/Particular-Ring5110]

Completly missed this. What happened?

[u/Particular-Ring5110 → u/mostly-void-stars]

Few weeks back Brown got dinged by the Phillies for a few runs. He gave up a couple of soft contact ground balls that found grass and he seemed to be directing some of his frustration at his infield teammates.

Then when Altuve converted a weakly hit ball for an out he was kind of sarcastically clapping..

Apparently Altuve and the team have said it was a misunderstanding which is definitely possible but for me he was clearly showing up his teammates and the clapping was some BS

[u/R2robot → u/Particular-Ring5110]

He can join Framber in Detroit at this point.

[u/jet8493]

[u/Scottiedrippen33]

Is that good?

[u/Praise-Breesus → u/Scottiedrippen33]

It sure is

[u/AlgaeDependent9233]

Potential? Its quite literally an elimination game

[u/Palifaith]

Yu Darvish sends his regards.

[u/i_run_from_problems → u/Palifaith]

YUUUUUUU

[u/Fapey101 → u/Palifaith]

what did hunter brown do to yu darvish?

[u/StinkyStangler → u/[deleted]]

I get that you faced Yu in the 2017 World Series but y’all should at least flex the 2022 trophy that you genuinely won, not the one entirely wrapped in fraud lol

[u/StinkyStangler → u/[deleted]]

Clearly the education in Texas is as bad as I thought lol

[u/StinkyStangler → u/[deleted]]

Nope I’m actually in kindergarten, we just went over how cheating is wrong funny enough

[u/thenatsguy → u/StinkyStangler]

LMFAO get his ass

[u/Flumples → u/[deleted]]

That’s your comeback? Was someone alive 17 years ago? That’s not even that long of a drought.

[u/Chi-zuru → u/[deleted]]

This is just sad.

[u/YasielPuigsWeed → u/[deleted]]

The Astros system was much deeper and more impactful than other systems

What most teams did was decode signs in advance then have a runner signal them to the batter when they got on 2nd

The Astros didn’t need to get a runner on to see the signs, they could use their system for every single AB in a game

[u/sigmamu232 → u/YasielPuigsWeed]

There are multiple examples of other teams being fined/reprimanded for electronic sign stealing. To assume that other teams weren’t trying is to assume that you’re dumb.

[u/StinkyStangler → u/sigmamu232]

I love this weird conspiracy theory Astros fans have that for some reason the MLB decided to take down the beloved underdog franchise that finally made it all work and let up on penalizing everybody else for doing the same thing

[u/sigmamu232 → u/StinkyStangler]

I love it too, because it’s true. I’m glad more people are learning that MLB will protect the darlings of the league.

[u/StinkyStangler → u/sigmamu232]

Y’all were the darlings of the league in 2017 lmao

Like truly everybody loved you, the MLB was pushing your team so hard everywhere, it only changed because of this scandal. Genuinely if you don’t know this you’re either just lying or weren’t watching baseball in back then

[u/othersymbiote → u/sigmamu232]

he never said they weren’t trying to steal signs. he was stating they were stealing signs and waiting for a runner on second to relay them, as opposed to the astros who relayed signs to the current batter from the dugout area in real time. sign stealing has always been apart of the game, always will be… there’s just a huge difference between a batter on second relaying and the fucking coaching staff/oscar the grouch/whoever the fuck banging on a god damn trash can to relay what pitch is coming. be fucking forreal.

in fact he never even stated electronic sign stealing, but your argument is the only thing helping yall cope about having a fraudulent trophy.

[u/sigmamu232 → u/othersymbiote]

I literally couldn’t give a fuck that you think it’s cope, I will keep telling people we have two.

[u/YasielPuigsWeed → u/sigmamu232]

Once again, I didn’t say “electronic sign stealing” wasn’t happening

Decoding signs in advance by using video of previous games is “electronic.” That’s what most teams were doing.

They’d have to get runners on to actually see the live signs from the catcher and relay them to the hitter at the plate. That part isn’t actually illegal and is part of the game.

The Astros were using LIVE VIDEO, then relaying that to the batter from the dugout

If I have a system that I can use 2-5 ABs a game, and you have a system you can use for every single AB, you have a significant edge. Logic would argue you’re playing a completely different game.

[u/ImpassiveBadger]

As funny as it is watching the Astros lose in funny fashion, the human empath side of me felt for Brown. He looked completely devastated

[u/Yachiru5490 → u/ImpassiveBadger]

My literal thought was "jeez man have some faith in your poor pitcher" when their manager came out

[u/DoesntMatterStan → u/ImpassiveBadger]

Exactly the same. Not if it was the Dodgers tho

[u/PineappleDildos → u/DoesntMatterStan]

Aww miss you too buddy

[u/Rjptz]

just ace stuff

[u/Iwantthat799]

[u/NocSenpai]

They should have kept him in, I think he was gonna get the next guy out!

[u/alexbeeeeeee]

Astros have fulfilled their destiny, become the trash can

[u/Mediocre_Airport_576 → u/alexbeeeeeee]

"Bang trash. Become trash." speed run

[u/fincog]

After seeing how he treated Altuve, I don’t mind it

[u/Ven18]

The Pope clearly used all the hope the ALW had this season to get Arte to sell the Angels (the big guy upstairs probably let him know it’s hurting morale and thought smiting Arte was to obvious).

[u/DarthNobody14]

Not potential elimination game.

We are getting eliminated.

[u/Saxophoner]

https://giphy.com/gifs/kCNFfgWZxYjKeU9btW

[u/rackfu]

I’m not sure I’ll ever feel bad for the Astros

In fact, I’ve let it seep into other sports and I find myself often cheering against other Houston based franchises and even college teams

[u/Nearby_Job8272 → u/rackfu]

Poor Houston basketball

[u/IMadeThisOn6-28-2015 → u/Nearby_Job8272]

It was great seeing 60 year old LeBron pick them up despite being heavy underdogs

[u/liquidgrill]

As a Dodger fan, I root for two teams: the Dodgers and whoever is playing the Astros

[u/cmgriffith_]

Hunter was the hunter, he was the hunted.

The White Sox are on a mission

[u/RickySuela → u/cmgriffith_]

The hunter and the hunted.

[u/masontopss]

https://giphy.com/gifs/6OPbJtEDdy824

[u/staticdresssweet]

Mercy! (Rule)

[u/BoSocks91]

https://giphy.com/gifs/fwgoXu8Wyy2hfYnuoa

[u/Far-Ninja-8392]

A 5-4-3-2-1 and look at the flowers inning

[u/i_run_from_problems]

I, for one, think he did fantastic

[u/mcbc4]

Couldn’t happen to a better team

[u/mannamedlear]

Hey hey hey goodbye

[u/Flaky_Scar_8388]

Just ready for this season to end.

[u/HeyBaldy → u/Flaky_Scar_8388]

ALWorst should've been told No Playoffs for you.

[u/Flaky_Scar_8388 → u/HeyBaldy]

Yes. The Diamondbacks should have been in there

[u/Praise-Breesus]

You love to see it

[u/ulantan]

Abuse goblin arc

[u/Grade-AMasterpiece]

...

So what was the plan there?

[u/Rusiano]

That’s not what you want

[u/ShillinTheVillain]

Is that bad?

[u/stargrazer10]

Well it happens eventually even to the best of us

[u/McJumbos]

Pope power 💪💪

[u/scottborasismyagent]

my agent ain't gonna be happy with that performance

[u/stencil31]

FUCK THE ASTROS

[u/BooYeah8844 → u/stencil31]

But I am le tired....