SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Houston Astros spent this odyssey of a season as baseball's biggest villains.
When Aledmys Diaz flied out to end Game 7 of the AL Championship Series, the bad guys finally lost.
The Astros still summoned enough October heart and poise to reach the brink of another World Series.
Manager Dusty Baker's club even came agonizingly close to matching the biggest playoff comeback in baseball history in a wild ALCS.
Although they couldn't quite conjure one last incredible postseason feat, this playoff run should be a source of pride for these Astros long after the boos stop following the revelation of sign-stealing tactics in previous seasons.
