Astros players express anger after fans booed team in loss to White Sox: ‘We want their support’

The Houston Astros looked a lot like a team that limped to the division title in their 6-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox in Game 1 of the wild-card round on Tuesday. Houston allowed five runs to get on the board and failed to come back against a White Sox team that had 11 hits.

To make matters worse for Houston, a handful of the points the team gave up were self-inflicted. Leading walks gave the White Sox their first run, a hit by pitch gave the team an extra run in the second inning, a leadoff walk scored in the fifth and a wild pitch allowed the final run to come home in the seventh.

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After this latest mistake, Astros fans let the team know that its play was unacceptable. Boos rained down on the team as they returned to the dugout after the inning ended.

This didn’t sit well with several Astros players after the game. First baseman Christian Walker disputed being booed at home, calling it “extremely frustrating,” according to The Athletic.

“It’s extremely frustrating as a local player,” Walker said. “We’re here, we’re playing at home; we need the cheers. We need the energy. We don’t need the boos. What’s the point at this point? No matter how the fans feel, we feel it tenfold. We’re the ones out there. We’re the ones in the fight. We’ve worked hard all season to put ourselves in this situation, and for the guys to get booed, it’s frustrating.”

Walker finished the contest 0-for-2 with two walks. He was the only Astros hitter to reach base multiple times in the loss.

Reliever Bennett Sousa – the player responsible for the wild pitch that gave the White Sox another run in the seventh inning – said he was “pretty upset” to hear boos when he returned to the dugout.

“I’m not going to lie to you, I was pretty upset in the dugout when I got there, because of the boos,” Sousa said. “This team has put a lot of money on the line to be in this position and give the fans a playoff game, a playoff series. We want their support.”

These comments probably won’t sit well with Astros fans. Even though the team made it to the playoffs, it wasn’t a particularly enjoyable watch for fans. The team limped to the finish line in September, going 11-13, barely beating the Texas Rangers for the American League West title and nearly finishing with a sub-.500 record.

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Sure, it resulted in a playoff berth, but there’s a difference between being a .500 playoff team and comfortably winning your division en route to 90+ wins.

If the Astros want to win back their fans, their opportunity is right in front of them. Winning the next two games, eliminating the pesky White Sox and advancing to the American League Division Series would likely result in cheers.

Anything less, and Astros fans will make their frustrations known.