The Houston Astros were eliminated by the Detroit Tigers in the Wild Card Round, preventing them from appearing in the ALCS for the first time since 2016. The Tigers finished the season strong to clinch the final Wild Card spot, along with the Kansas City Royals. This continues the trend of lower seeds advancing in the expanded playoffs. The Astros’ regular season performance was their worst since missing the postseason entirely in 2016. Their success in recent years, including four World Series appearances, was overshadowed by the infamous sign-stealing scandal that came to light in 2019. The Astros were found to have used a sophisticated system to steal signs and relay the information to batters, which affected their 2017 World Series win. Despite their success on the field, the scandal tainted the Astros’ reputation and their run of championship appearances. Moving forward, the Astros will need to rebuild their image and strive for success without the cloud of controversy hanging over them.
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