In the middle of last week, after the Philadelphia Phillies had cruised to a 7-0 in Game 3 of the Major League Baseball World Series, they now led the Houston Astros 2-1 and had effectively wrested home advantage from Houston.
However, following that chastening defeat, the Astros regrouped and rattled off three wins in successive games in order to secure the MLB World Series 4-2.
It was a huge win for the city of Houston and in particular one of its most famous and colourful inhabitants, who decided to share his good fortune with many others that had participated in his offer earlier in the season.
But before we get onto what happened with Mattress Mack, let’s first recap how the World Series finally saw the pre-series favourites with bookmakers such as bet365 Sport, come good to claim the win.
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Ultimately, the quality that the Astros possessed proved to be enough to take them to the World Series, but this was a series that had plenty of twists and turns, none more so than in the crucial Game 5 and what will become a series-defining catch by Astro’s outfielder Chas McCormick.
However, it took that moment (amongst several others) to eventually land the Astros their second World Series and their first since the sign-stealing cheating scandal that besmirched the team and which has left them pariahs amongst the majority of the MLB community outside of Houston and Texas.
The first game of the World Series was one of the most dramatic as the never-say-die Phillies came back from a 5-0 deficit to clinch the win in the 10th and extra inning thanks to J.T.Realmuto’s homer.
In their second home game of the series, the Astros struck back, winning 5-2 to level things up, but in their first road game, the Astros were blitzed in Philadelphia as the Phillies cruised to a 7-0 win.
At this point, the momentum in the series seemed to be with the underdogs and the Astros needed to make a big comeback, starting with Game 4 in Philadelphia.
If there was a turning point in this series then it came across Games 4 and 5.
After that startling defeat in the previous game, the Astros were clearly stung by how poorly they played but they gained revenge in Game 4, winning 5-0 in Philadelphia to level the series as we headed into Game 5.
Whoever won this game would be on the hill, just one game away from the World Series and it was a matchup that was filled with tension, and which would ultimately be decided by Astros outfielder Chas McCormack.
Both teams scored one run each in the first and eight innings, but the Astros managed another in the fourth, but in the ninth, the Phillies had two players on the base and with J.T.Realmuto connecting with a pitch, it looked likely that the Phillies would tie the game, or perhaps even win it.
However, outfielder Chas McCormack realised that if he sacrificed his body, he had a chance to make a series-defining catch. So he leapt high, crashing into the fence, but also claiming the ball.
It would ultimately lead to the 3-2 win that set the Astros up with a chance to win the series in Game 6 in front of their home fans at Minute Maid Park.
They did so relatively comfortably, winning 4-1 with all runs scored in the sixth innings in a victory that had the entire city of Houston celebrating their second World Series win, coming five years after their somewhat tainted victory in 2017.
However, there was one Houston citizen who was perhaps celebrating a little more than most, and he was set to share his good fortune with many in the local community.
Jim McIngvale, or Mattress Mack as he has become known, is one of the most famous big-money gamblers in the city of Houston.
He has wagered millions over the years backing teams, many of them from the Houston or Texas area, to win major events, winning some bets, losing some, but when the Astros landed the World Series this past week, McIngvale would become a new record-holder.
That’s because he had bet $10m across a number of sports books in Las Vegas on the Astros winning the series at combined odds of around 7.5/1.
Caesar’s alone had to cough up $30m after accepting his $3m wager with them in the spring at odds of 10/1.
However, it is not just McIngvale that is celebrating the big win. A big part of why he is so popular across the city is that McIngvale will share out his big wins on selected bets with customers at his Gallery Furniture Store.
And those that took part in a promotion earlier this year that saw him promise to give everyone that spent $3,000 or more on furniture at his store double their money back, if the Astros were to win the World Series.
So now, some fortunate Houstonians that took up the offer are now set to not only get the money they paid for their furniture back, but also the same amount in cash once again!
In an emotional statement following his win, McIngvale stated:
“I love Houston. As I’ve said in many speeches, Linda and I sacrificed in many ways to try to be the best leaders for the community, for the city, for our employees, and for our children that we could.”
“…This last week has been especially…beyond words. An incident that was just me trying to defend my city, and our team, galvanized the city.”
“I love y’all. I love this city. I would do anything for this city, and I would do anything for you. I’m so proud to be part of his city and will ALWAYS stand up for you for what’s right…”
It is not known how much that Mattress Mack will be paying out to customers that took him up on the offer, but what is certain is that even when paying out on his promise, he should still have made a very hefty profit off that Astros victory.
Remember too, that while you may not have $10 million to lay down backing your favourite sports team to land the biggest title in their respective sport, you can enjoy fantastic betting at a more sensible level with bet365 Sport. Sign up today using our bet365 bonus code to ensure you pick up a great value welcome offer when you join!
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