Thanks to the heroics of Alex Bregman, the Astros made franchise history on Monday night. Down 4–3 in the ninth to the Rays and with an 11-game winning streak on the line, Houston rallied, keyed by Bregman’s two-run–walk-off double off Sergio Romo. That 12th straight win tied the team record for most consecutive victories, first set in 1999 and matched in 2004; another one on Tuesday night against Tampa will leave the 2018 Astros alone at the top.
But beyond putting their names into the record books, the Astros’ win streak is as good a sign as any that they haven’t missed a beat in their world championship defense.