Michael Brantley Takes a Quiet Moment With Dad, Chas McCormick Goes Full Party Beast, Yordan Hides & Verlander Comes In Hot — Inside the Astros’ Epic Bottle Popping Party in Minny

MINNEAPOLIS — After another epic Justin Verlander bottle popping setup speech, after Chas McCormick and Framber Valdez prove that absolutely no one parties harder than them, after Jose Abreu gives thanks for just being able to be part of this Houston Astros greatness, Michael Brantley finds himself a quiet moment. With his dad. The 36-year-old veteran hitter admiringly called Uncle Mike by his teammates could serve as the symbol of this Astros team that’s had to fight harder, overcome longer and persevere through more than ever to get back to this moment.

To winning another playoff series — arguably the most dangerous playoff series of all for any favorite (just ask the 100-win Dodgers, 101-win Orioles or 104-win Braves about that) — and punching their ticket to an amazing seventh straight American League Championship Series.

Count Michael Brantley among those marveling at it all. Brantley went through his own playoff disappointments before joining the Astros, bowing out of three postseasons with Cleveland without his team ever winning a single game. He fought through debilitating shoulder injuries — and 14 months without baseball — to get back with these Astros for this stretch run. These priceless postseason moments.

And after watching everyone party, Brantley returns to the field where the Astros vanquished the Twins and old friend Carlos Correa, where his dad Mickey Brantley is waiting. Mickey Brantley played parts of four seasons with the Seattle Mariners in the 1980s, but he’s living an even bigger dream watching his son. After the Brantleys hug, they want to take a photo. Fittingly, Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker, who is chilling out on the field with his fiancee Samantha Scott while much of the chaos goes on the clubhouse, quickly volunteers to take it.

Just one Astro stepping in to help another. As usual. That’s what these Golden Era Astros do. Keep picking each other up until they’re all popping bottles together, turning another clubhouse into a happy sloshy mosh pit of champagne (or in this case La Marca sparkling prosecco) and Budweiser.

“There’s been a culture established here that hasn’t faded away,” ageless Astros ace Justin Verlander says, wine bottle in hand. “It’s still very present. And that’s a testament to the guys that were here before and the guys that remain here. And the guys that are the leaders of this ballclub.”

Call it The Astros’ championship heartbeat. Something that’s always gone far beyond just numbers — and Astros’ much-praised and well-earned analytical prowess.

“Our culture is something that’s not tangible,” Verlander continues. “Funny that one of the most analytic-forward teams in baseball (and) something that makes this team so special is something that’s not measurable.”

This is something that those really paying attention have been bringing up for years and years now. These Astros don’t just continue to win big season after season after season because of their immense talents and data expertise. They win because they’re one of the most together forever teams you’ll ever see in professional sports history.

“We fight like hell for each other,” says Chas McCormick, who no doubt gets completely doused, spray attacked and super soaked more than other single Astro — and loves every freaking second of it.

“We had ups and downs through this season,” Michael Brantley says, bottle spraying protecting goggles pushed up on his forehead, covering his new ALCS hat. “It was a little different path than we normally take. But at the same time it’s a testament to how hard these guys work and believe in one another.

“We battled together.”

Like always. Like Astros.

And now the seven-time ALCS participants, four-time American League champions and two-time World Series winners get to battle the Texas Rangers in the ultimate Lone Star State showdown series. Call it The Buc-ee’s Cup.

It will start Sunday night in Minute Maid Park because the Astros earned that too — by demolishing Texas’ other team 9-4 in their 13 head-to-head regular season games. Yes, this is going to be one of the most fun — and nasty — 10 days in Texas sports history.

That’s a story for another night though. On this one in downtown Minneapolis, it’s about Brantley fighting through so much to get back to this stage, missing the first 136 games of this season, being sidelined for the entire 2022 World Series run, and delivering the home run that ties it. It’s about Abreu completely flipping his second straight playoff game. It’s about the oft-doubted, almost-traded-last-year Jose Urquidy just going right at the Twins’ talented lineup with strike after strike. . .

And so much more.

“Our culture is something that’s not tangible. Funny that one of the most analytic-forward teams in baseball (and) something that makes this team so special is something that’s not measurable.” — Astros ace Justin Verlander

Leave it to Justin Verlander, who’s proving in these playoffs that he really deserves a role in the next Quentin Tarantino movie, to sum it up after he’s given the postgame speech honors by Astros manager Dusty Baker, who says he’s going to do the World Series speech.

“Boys, this is one of those seasons where nothing went our way early,” Verlander says in remarks America got to hear live on Fox. “We battled through injuries. We fucking grinded. I wasn’t even fucking here. . .

With that Verlander raises his arm as his teammates break out in laughter.

“I’m glad to be back,” the ace continues. “Seven fucking times! Seven fucking times! All right. Don’t take that for granted. On seven, everybody pop these motherfuckers.”

On that giddy countdown, the bottles are popped and Verlander is just one of the Astros who is so covered in a spraying sparkling wine shower that you can barely make out his form through the mist. This is how you party like champions.

Like always. Like Astros.

Keeping It Together Forever Astros Real

Of course, not everyone likes to be in the center of the celebration madness. When reporters are let into the Astros’ clubhouse at Target Field, Yordan Alvarez is hiding near the entrance, waiting for things to calm down a bit. Alvarez would have easily won MVP of the series (with Jose Abreu second) if such things were handed out in the divisional round. But he’ll take a moment to himself too.

Then there’s Jose Altuve, who always tries to let his teammates get the attention after big clinch wins like this, spending most of his time out on the field, hanging out with his wife Nina, talking to teammates one-on-one. Taking the time to stop to sign autographs for a few Astros fans along the way.

“Our pitching staff was amazing,” Altuve says.

Limiting the powerful Twins — the team that hit the most home runs in the Majors during the regular season — to three combined runs on six total hits in two playoff games in Minnesota’s home ballpark amazing. That includes three and one third innings of shutout, no hit baseball from the relief trio of Hector Neris, Bryan Abreu and Ryan Pressly in this 3-2 Astros Game 4 win that clinches the series.

In fact, eight of the 10 outs the Astros bullpen gets come by strikeout. Including Pressly throwing an absolutely picture frame perfect 95 MPH four-seam fastball on the inside corner to catch Twins veteran Max Kepler looking. That K leaves Correa forever stranded in the on-deck circle, helplessly watching another potential big chance evaporate into another Astros celebration. It also keeps Pressly a perfect 13 for 13 in playoff save chances and extends his postseason scoreless streak to 18 and 2/3 innings.

“Ryan Pressly is fearless,” Astros reliever Ryne Stanek tells PaperCity stepping over a bubbly puddle. “He’s a different animal.”

By late in this Game 4, the Twins aren’t just down. They’re utterly frustrated, driven mad by an Astros postseason machine that gives no quarter. These Golden Era Astros have always treated every playoff out like a treasure. And there Jeremy Peña is absolutely robbing former Astro turned Twins lifeline leader Carlos Correa on a difficult liner in the seventh inning. Only three or four shortstops in the world probably make the plays Peña does on this night.

In this case, one just happens to do it to another, his former teacher no less.

Correa’s had it at this point. He slams his batting helmet down as hard as he can against a unfortunate piece of dugout bench, hitting it multiple times like he’s trying to break Thor’s ax. Or some kind of spell of Astros’ wizardry.

These Astros just do not get upset early in October. They refuse to go down until some hardware is on the line, having made baseball’s final four teams standing for those seven straight years now. With Correa. Without him, And now against him, sending him home shaking his head like all the rest.

Like always. Like Astros.

Reruns of The Office aren’t even this damn consistent.

“We had ups and downs through this season. It was a little different path than we normally take. But at the same time it’s a testament to how hard these guys work and believe in one another. We battled together.” — Astros veteran Michael Brantley

The Michael Brantley and Jose Abreu Moment

But as Verlander notes, it’s the people who make it special. Jose Abreu, now a Cuban 36 and in his 10th Major League season, having been given up for washed up and mocked during large parts of this season, is one of those people. Abreu’s earned it. Not just for the three huge home runs he hits in two days in Minneapolis. But for the way he always made this Astros clubhouse even stronger and never let his own struggles stop him from being an encouraging voice.

At one point during the bottle popping party, Abreu and Brantley found themselves fittingly together in one corner of the clubhouse, grabbing a hug as reporters wait to interview them. These two men have seen plenty in baseball, battled through so much more. Now they’re indispensable members of these forever together Astros.

“They never get tired,” Abreu says, seemingly marveling at his teammates with another of the sweetest beers he’ll ever taste in his right hand. “They never get tired. They never give up.

“And they understand that this is the time where the greats need to be good.”

The greatness of these Astros come out when everything is on the line, when the pressure is at its highest, when another stadium is chanting “Let’s Go Twins! Let’s Go Twins” at rock concert levels trying to will the comeback into reality. . .  when other teams blink under the weight of it all.

Then they party together like a family and find their families to bring them along for the ride. And if you need someone to take a picture of you and your dad, Kyle Tucker will happily step in. Provide a little assist to The Uncle Mike who taught him so much as a young player coming up. That’s what these guys do.

Like always. Like Astros.