ALCS: Aroldis Chapman explains smiling after José Altuves homer
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While we wait for Tuesday night's Game 6, we’ve ranked all 23 of Altuve’s postseason home runs, which you can watch chronologically in the video below. Jose Altuve hit his 23rd career postseason home run on Saturday night, giving him more than any other player except Manny Ramírez, who has 29. Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros reacts after hitting a solo home run during the seventh inning of game one of the American League Division Series against the Boston Red Sox on October 5, 2017 at Minute Maid Park in Houston. Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros reacts after hitting a solo home run off of Chris Sale #41 of the Boston Red Sox during the fifth inning of game one of the American League Division Series on October 5, 2017 at Minute Maid Park in Houston. Altuve gave the Astros their first lead of the 2019 postseason, hitting a two-run shot off the Rays in the bottom of the fifth to put Houston up 2-0 in Game 1 of the ALDS.
It was an inning of insurance runs, as the Astros tacked on a few more, eventually winning the game 7-1. It was Altuve's 19th post-season home run, tying former teammate George Springer for the most in franchise history. With Houston leading the Yankees by one in Game 7 of the ALCS, Altuve helped spark a three-run fifth inning with a solo shot. The Astros held on to win 4-0 to advance to the World Series for the second time in franchise history. Altuve's third solo home run of this contest wasn't memorable in terms of the impact on the game, as Houston was already winning 7-2, but it did carry significance. In addition to making Astros history, this blast made him the ninth player ever to hit three home runs in a playoff game.
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All that is great about baseball is packed into that 5-foot-6, 165-pound body, like one of those super concentrated detergents. Instead, they’ll spend the next few days mulling over this one, sitting eight games back of first-place Boston in the AL East. Gary Sanchez hit a three-run homer in the top of the eighth to make it 7-2 and seemingly put the Yankees in a position to finish off the game. After a visit from pitching coach Matt Blake, pinch-hitter Jason Castro singled to center, moving Toro to third. Abraham Toro followed with a shot to right that Judge couldn’t chase down for an RBI double to cut the Yankees’ lead to two runs.
He claimed it was because his wife didn’t like it when his teammates ripped off his shirt, but it led to speculation that the Astros were using buzzers under their jerseys to relay stolen signs in real time. MLB investigated the Altuve accusations and said they found nothing. Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the 10th inning of Game 2 of the 2017 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on October 25, 2017 in Los Angeles. Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros celebrates after hitting a solo home run against David Robertson #30 of the New York Yankees during the eighth inning in Game Six of the American League Championship Series at Minute Maid Park on October 20, 2017 in Houston.
2017 ALCS Game 6 vs. Yankees (No.
Just when it seemed like the momentum of American League Championship Series Game 6 had entirely swung back in New York’s favor, the Houston Astros punched their ticket to the World Series in thrilling fashion. Jose Altuve walloped a two-out, walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning off Chapman, sending Minute Maid Park into a frenzy and leaving the visitors with a bad taste in their mouths. The emotions from Altuve were taken to another level when he was informed minutes after the game ended that his father had been taken to a Houston hospital. There was no word on the seriousness of his condition, but before he got the news, Altuve spoke about his belief in his team.
"And yeah, if you look at his actions, they look a little suspicious. At the end of the day, I just don't know," Chapman said, according to ESPN's Buster Olney. I can't tell you if he had the sign or didn't have the sign–I don't know.
2017 World Series Game 2 vs Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium
Hinch has a favorite story he likes to tell about the heart of Altuve. It was 2015, and the Astros had just lost, 7-2, to Kansas City in the Division Series clincher. Hinch was in his office—before he even had a chance to address his team—when Altuve walked in. Saturday night, as if repaying a debt, the game created a moment for Altuve.
Only one hitter managed to hit Chapman’s fastball for a homer this year, J.D. But the slider becomes a home run pitch when it doesn’t break, which is what happened for Travis d’Arnaud, Eloy Jimenez and now Altuve. The quick start left the Yankees scrambling to catch up all night in what turned out to be a futile effort to save their campaign. Finally, LeMahieu's great at-bat brought New York even -- at least for a few minutes.
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In the top of the 10th, with no outs and the game tied at 3, Altuve gave the Astros the lead with a line drive, solo home run off Josh Fields. This home run boosted the Astros’ chances of winning by 34%, more than any other of Altuve’s non-walk-off postseason homers. Correa tacked on another with a back-to-back home run, before giving up the lead in the bottom of the inning. George Springer hit a two-run homer in the top of the 11th, and the Dodgers rallied with a homer of their own in the bottom, but the Astros held on to win 7-6 in one of the best World Series games ever—at least until 4 nights later. The 2018 ALDS was about as dominant as it gets for the Astros, who swept the Cleveland Indians in three games with a plus-15 run differential.
Altuve followed up a solo home run from Michael Brantley with one of his own in the bottom of the eighth, stretching Houston's lead to five. The 2020 ALCS wasn't a good one for the Astros in terms of capitalizing off Altuve home runs, as they dropped two out of the three games he went yard in. Houston was defeated 5-2 in Game 3, despite another first-inning smash from Altuve. Game 3 of the 2020 ALDS featured another first-inning solo blast from Altuve that didn't result in an Astros win, as the Oakland Athletics rallied late to pull out a 9-7 victory.
Houston responded by pummeling them for 10 runs in Chicago to clinch the ALDS in four games. Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros is congratulated by teammate Carlos Correa #1 after his solo home run against the Tampa Bay Rays during the eighth inning in game five of the American League Division Series at Minute Maid Park on October 10, 2019 in Houston. Perhaps the most improbable thing about the ninth-inning rally is how lifeless the Astros had looked offensively all weekend against the Yankees.
We have arrived at a World Series that will take us back to the 1960s, with marquee starting pitchers going toe to toe to see who can stay in the game longer. Only once in the past 31 World Series games have both starters lasted seven innings. The game marked the first time in postseason history that a team hit a game-tying or go-ahead home run in the top of an inning, then allowed a game-ending homer in the bottom of the inning.
Altuve carried his bat about halfway down the first base line before tossing it aside, a rare show of swagger for the usually deferential infielder. Altuve, who previously was deadlocked with Bernie Williams at 22, is the beating orange heart of the Astros’ organization and a postseason juggernaut. He can lean out over the plate to pull a pitch on the outside corner or turn on a ball inside and send it soaring down the left-field line.
No team has kept Altuve off base in his past 19 postseason games. This ALCS-ending moment, you can be sure, is not enough for him or this team. The Astros had led the entirety of Game 6 until the ninth, when Yankees first baseman DJ LeMahieu, refusing to be put away by closer Roberto Osuna, ended a 10-pitch battle by hitting a home run just beyond the outstretched arm of rightfielder George Springer.
2019 ALCS Game 3 vs. Yankees (No.
Those who have played with him admire him as much as any player they've met, and they had no doubt he was going to come through again in the clutch. "Everybody thought we were going to lose this game, except for us," he told reporter Julia Morales of AT&T SportsNet. "We kept grinding and kept battling every time and we made it happen."
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