The scene at Daikin Park
If you were watching the Astros-White Sox game on Tuesday, you might have noticed something off. Daikin Park looked lowkey empty, with thousands of seats sitting vacant. While the stadium has a capacity of over 40,000, only about 34,011 fans showed up to watch the wildcard series opener.
It’s a massive vibe shift for a team that’s been a postseason mainstay for the last decade. But it wasn't just the empty seats; the crowd that did show up wasn't exactly feeling the love for the home team. As the Astros fell into an early 3-0 hole, boos started raining down from the stands as early as the first and second innings.
Players are over the negativity
Naturally, the team isn't thrilled about the hostile environment. First baseman Christian Walker told the Athletic, “We need cheers. We need energy. We don’t need boos. What purpose does that serve in that moment?”
Reliever Bennett Sousa echoed the sentiment, noting that the team has been grinding all season to make it to the playoffs and deserves support instead of shade.
Manager Joe Espada is trying to keep the peace, admitting he understands the frustration on both sides. “Our players love our fans. We respect our fans. We need our fans. We feed off that,” Espada said.
Why it matters
This is actually a historic, albeit messy, season for Houston. They’re the first team in a non-shortened season to make the playoffs despite not having a winning record, finishing their regular season at 81-81. While they've battled injuries all year, the tension between the players and the fanbase is real tea. Whether the team can turn the energy around for Game 2 is the big question—if they want to make a run, they're going to need the stadium behind them, not against them.
