Houston Astros playing to save their season in Game 5 – but what of the future?

ATLANTA — They turned the baseball industry on its ear, tanked and re-booted and won. A lot.

They captured a championship in 2017 and a second American League pennant in 2019, only weeks later to have some sins of their success exposed – earning the scorns of baseball fans coast to coast.

Now, a decade after going from patsies to powerhouse to pariahs, the Houston Astros may be facing the next natural step in their progression.

The end.

Sunday evening, the Astros will be playing to extend their season in Game 5 of the World Series against the Atlanta Braves. A gut-punch 3-2 defeat Saturday night pushed them to a 3-1 edge in this World Series, a matchup in which Houston's vaunted hitters have not been able to pounce on a Braves pitching staff compromised by injury.

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