Correa calls out critics after sweep: 'What are they going to say now?'

Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa questioned the team's critics after Houston swept the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday to advance to the American League Division Series.

"I know a lot of people are mad," Correa said postgame, according to Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. "I know a lot of people don't want to see us here. But what are they going to say now?"

The former All-Star also called out ESPN for focusing too much on the Astros' sign-stealing scandal during the wild-card series' Game 1 broadcast on Tuesday.

Correa played an instrumental role in Game 2 of the best-of-three series. The 26-year-old hit a go-ahead home run in the seventh inning, which ended up being the difference in the game:

Houston limped into the playoffs with a sub-.500 record in the club's first season following Major League Baseball's punishment for stealing signs electronically during the team's World Series-winning 2017 season and parts of 2018.

The manager and general manager were both given lengthy suspensions and subsequently fired in January for cheating. The club was also fined $5 million and lost its first- and second-round draft picks in 2020 and 2021.