Moment belongs to Altuve
Astros’ 5-foot-6 spark plug delivers dramatic home run that will long be remembered
HOUSTON — Jose Altuve, the 5-foot-6 driving force of the Astros, delivered a swing that will play in the club’s highlights forever.
Altuve homered off Aroldis Chapman with two outs in the ninth inning and the Astros outlasted the Yankees 6-4 on Saturday night to advance to the World Series for the second time in three years.
“That’s one of the best moments of postseason history,” Astros GM Jeff Luhnow said.
In a bullpen Game 6 with a back-andforth finish, DJ LeMahieu hit a tying, two-run shot off Astros closer Roberto Osuna in the top of the ninth. Altuve answered with a two-run drive to leftcenter, setting off a wild celebration at Minute Maid Park and earning himself AL Championship Series MVP.
“Beautiful game,” Altuve said.
Yuli Gurriel hit a three-run homer in the first inning, and flashy outfield defense helped the Astros relievers defeat the Yankees and their vaunted bullpen.
It almost fell apart in the ninth. Gio Urshela singled off Osuna leading off for his third hit of the game, and LeMahieu put a ball into the first row of seats in right field — inches over the glove of leaping George Springer — to tie it at 4.
Altuve, a sparkplug touted as the Astros’ heart and soul, didn’t let this one get away.
“I get asked to describe Jose Altuve all the time,” manager AJ Hinch said. “I think MVP is what he is.”
The teams combined to use 14 pitchers in a game that lasted 4 hours, 9 minutes.
The Astros’ Will Harris, who got four outs over the sixth and seventh innings and has yet to allow a run this postseason, was glad the team’s bullpen got to show its stuff.
“We have a lot of guys with a lot of pride that are really good at their jobs,” he said. “And I was excited for the opportunity for us to prove that today.”
The defense helped. Right fielder Josh Reddick dived for Brett Gardner’s liner for the second out of the sixth. An inning later, left fielder Michael Brantley laid out for Aaron Hicks’ shallow floater and doubled off Aaron Judge at first.
Gurriel, a holdover from the Astros’ 2017 championship team, was 1-for-20 to start the ALCS before his drive in the first inning. He jumped all over a high-and-tight fastball from opener Chad Green, and his shot into the Crawford Boxes was his first connection this postseason.
It’s the third time the Astros have eliminated the Yankees in the last five postseasons. The Astros won the 2015 wild-card game in the Bronx and beat the Yankees in seven games in the 2017 ALCS before winning their first title.
“I feel like we are on equal footing with them,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Unfortunately, sports can be a little bit cruel for the team that goes home.”