Astros dash to victory
Correa puts Yanks in 2-0 hole
HOUSTON — With each stinging line drive, Jose Altuve is putting his stamp on this October. Same with every pitch from Justin Verlander, no matter the inning or score.
Houston’s longest tenured player and its durable new ace — an incomparable pair so far this postseason.
Altuve raced home on Carlos Correa’s double in the ninth inning, Verlander struck out 13 in a complete game and the Astros beat the New York Yankees 2-1 yesterday for a 2-0 lead in the American League Championship Series.
Correa also homered, but Houston needed a daring dash from the 5-foot-6 Altuve to get Verlander a win. Altuve, an AL MVP front-runner, reached with a one-out single against closer Aroldis Chapman, then sprinted around from first base on Correa’s shot to right-center field. Shortstop Didi Gregorius’ relay beat Altuve to the plate, but catcher Gary Sanchez misplayed a short-hop, allowing Houston’s dynamo second baseman to slide past safely.
“When I saw him running I was like, ‘Oh God,’” Correa said. “And then obviously he beat it out.”
Altuve had two more hits and is 13-for-23 (.565) this postseason after hitting just 4-for-26 (.154) in the 2015 playoffs.
“He’s unbelievable,” Verlander said. “The guy does everything.”
Verlander improved to 8-0 in eight appearances with Houston since agreeing to an Aug. 31 trade from the Tigers, including his Game 4 win in relief during a Division Series against the Red Sox. He has a 2.04 ERA over a postseason-leading 172⁄3 innings.
“When I decided to say yes, these are the moments that you envision,” Verlander said of agreeing to the trade. “You don’t envision going 5-0 in the regular season once you get here, that’s all fine and great, but that’s not why I was brought here. I was brought here to help this team win a championship.”
Verlander set a postseason career best for strikeouts and allowed five hits in his second career complete game in the playoffs. He threw a season-high 124 pitches and retired baby Bronx Bombers Aaron Judge, Sanchez and Greg Bird in the top of the ninth.
“This is such a big moment for our team, but he put us on his back today with his pitching,” manager A.J. Hinch said.
Dallas Keuchel won Game 1 for the Astros — also 2-1 — pairing with Verlander to give the Astros perhaps the best 1-2 punch in these playoffs.
“That was one of the most impressive things I’ve seen in my professional career for sure,” Keuchel said. “But that’s why we got him — for his postseason pedigree.”
In the bottom of the ninth, Judge picked up Correa’s hit in right field and threw toward second base. Gregorius fielded there, and his throw beat Altuve to the plate by a few steps. Sanchez just couldn’t squeeze the one-hopper.
“That’s a play I’m used to making,” Sanchez said through a translator. “Really thought I had a chance at making that play there. Unfortunately I dropped the ball and couldn’t make that play.”
The Astros mobbed Correa in shallow center field while Altuve pointed and smiled from near home plate.
Todd Frazier drove in New York’s run with a ground-rule double in the fifth when his shot to leftcenter got stuck in the chain-link fence protecting the visitors’ bullpen.