HOUSTON (KIAH) — Baseball is best watched among fellow fans.
That’s why, when the Astros are playing road games during the American League Championship Series, Minute Maid Park is giving their fans the opportunity to watch those games together.
Houston’s home ballpark is hosting watch parties for American League Championship Series Games 3 and 4 on Wednesday and Thursday nights.
Tickets cost $2, and that money goes to The Astros Foundation, the ball club’s charitable arm.
Gates open at 5 p.m. both nights with both games starting at 7:03.
The Astros find themselves down two games to none in the best-of-seven series with both of those losses being at home.
The Texas Rangers shut out Houston 2-0 in Game One on Sunday, and then the Astros comeback bid fell short in Game Two on Monday in a 5-4 loss.
In almost 150 years of Major League Baseball, only one team has ever comeback to win a best-of-seven series after starting down three games to none, so the pressure is on the Astros to avoid that fate.
For Game 3, Houston will send Christian Javier to the mound who already has a win this postseason after throwing five scoreless innings against the Twins in the divisional round last week.
The Rangers will counter with Max Scherzer who has loads of playoff experience but who’s also coming off an injury that’s kept him from playing for over a month.
In his first start Wednesday night since September 12, “Mad Max” will likely be limited to around 70 pitches according to Scherzer and Rangers Manager Bruce Bochy.
The limited number of pitches likely means the Astros will face Texas relievers early in the ballgame which is an advantage for Houston given the struggles of the Rangers’ bullpen this season.
It’s unclear which pitchers will start for both teams in ALCS Game Four on Thursday.
The Astros must — at least — win that game or tonight’s game in order to force Game Five on Friday night also in Arlington.
If Houston wins at least two games at the Rangers home ballpark, Globe Life Field, over the next three days, the series will return to Houston.
Game 6 would be played on Sunday at Minute Maid Park with a possible Game 7 on Monday.