Astros’ Brutal Collapse Caps Miserable Day for Houston Sports Fans

Monday was a bad day to be a Houston sports fan.

The day was full of terrible news, starting and ending with the Houston Astros.

First, MLB announced that the two superstars they lost over the offseason — Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker — were both named Player of the Week for their new teams. Bregman won the AL award for the Boston Red Sox, while Tucker received the NL award for the Chicago Cubs.

It’s bad enough that they’re gone, but seeing them immediately thrive with their new clubs only adds insult to injury.

The Astros got more bad news later in the day when starting pitcher Spencer Arrighetti suffered a freak injury. He sustained a broken right thumb after getting hit by a line drive while playing catch during batting practice before Houston’s game against the Seattle Mariners.

Arrighetti landing on the injured list just two weeks into the season is a major blow for the Astros’ rotation, which was counting on him to step up in Year 2 after a promising rookie season last year. To make matters worse, the team called up the underwhelming Luis Contreras from Triple-A to replace him on the pitching staff.

Monday night was even more painful for Houston fans, who watched the Houston Cougars lose the NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship Game in shocking fashion to the Florida Gators.

After pulling off an incredible last-minute comeback against the Duke Blue Devils in the Final Four, the Cougars led for most of the evening at the Alamodome and appeared well on their way to their first NCAA Tournament championship in program history.

However, Houston squandered a 12-point lead in the second half, allowing the Gators to rally for a stunning 65-63 victory. The Cougars uncharacteristically turned the ball over on their final four possessions of the game, sealing their epic collapse and extending their agonizing history of heartbreaking finishes.

The Astros also suffered a late-game meltdown in Seattle shortly thereafter, delivering one final gut punch for Houston fans at the end of the night. Nursing a 3-2 lead with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, Bryan Abreu allowed a two-run single to Jorge Polanco that won the game for the Mariners, dropping the scuffling Astros to 4-6 on the season.

Not a great start to the week for Houston fans. But on the bright side, Tuesday can’t possibly be any worse.