The Houston Astros are the reigning World Series champions until further notice.
They will play Game 7 of the American League Championship Series against the Texas Rangers on Monday, and they will do it at home, with a great offense with two postseason legends (Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez), and under the guidance of an excellent manager in Dusty Baker.
However, don’t count the Rangers out: they are a talented team in their own right and they have the luxury of being led by a three-time World Series-winning manager in Bruce Bochy.
If you don’t recall, Bochy was the one leading the San Francisco Giants to three Fall Classic trophies in the early 2010s.
He knows how to manage these games and he knows what it takes to win them.
His record speaks for itself.
In fact, he is flawless in winner-take-all affairs.
“Bruce Bochy will manage his 6th winner-take-all game on Monday night. He’s 5-0 in those games, the most wins without a loss by any manager in MLB postseason history,” ESPN Stats & Info tweeted.
Bruce Bochy will manage his 6th winner-take-all game on Monday night.
He's 5-0 in those games, the most wins without a loss by any manager in MLB postseason history. pic.twitter.com/418mwtedpv
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 23, 2023
Two of those victories came in the 2012 postseason run the Giants had under Bochy.
The first one was in the Division Series against the Cincinnati Reds, which the Giants took, 3-2.
Then, in the NL Championship Series, they won Game 7 against the St. Louis Cardinals.
In 2014, the Giants won the one-game playoff that the Wild Card Game used to be against the Pittsburgh Pirates and then took the World Series in Game 7 against the Kansas City Royals.
Then, in 2016, he won the Wild Card Game against the New York Mets with his Giants.
Will that record reach 6-0 on Monday night?
Or will he suffer his first postseason winner-take-all loss in his MLB tenure?
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