If you're rooting against the Houston Astros, you're not alone.
Yes, the Astros' 2020 heel turn was dulled slightly by the COVID-19 hiatus and the fact that stadiums are filled with silent cardboard cutouts and canned crowd noise rather than jeering, flesh-and-blood fans.
But no one has forgotten the sign-stealing scandal that led to the firing of general manager Jeff Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch, cost the Astros their first- and second-round draft picks in both 2020 and 2021 and tarnished the franchise.
True to form, Houston has been involved in a pair of bench-clearing incidents this season against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland A's, the latter of which led to a 20-game suspension for hitting coach Alex Cintron.