Combination key for Astros
When it comes to dynamic duos, there’s often a clear-cut top dog and a trusty sidekick.
That’s not the case with second baseman Jose Altuve and shortstop Carlos Correa, the Astros’ middle-infield combo who both shine equally bright for the team.
“Often you have one All-Star caliber (player) and a ... Robin,” manager Dusty Baker said. “This you’ve got two Batmans.”
The pair played its 66th postseason game together Saturday, which is the most by any shortstop and second base duo in MLB history.
The two cornerstones of the franchise, or to use Baker’s term, the team’s vertebrae, have played together since Correa’s debut in 2015, a year that featured their first trip to the postseason.
Altuve doesn’t recall a specific conversation they had back then about their expectations, but he knows they often discussed “winning and playing together for a long time.”
They’ve certainly accomplished both of those goals. This season marks their sixth postseason trip and they’ve helped the Astros to a fifth consecutive AL Championship Series where they’re tied 1-1 with the Red Sox.
They’re looking for a third trip to the World Series after losing to the Nationals in 2019 following their 2017 World Series win that was later tainted by a sign-stealing scandal.
The Astros won more than 100 games in three of the seasons since Correa made it to the big leagues and finished this regular season with 95 victories to capture their fourth AL West title in five years.
“It’s hard to imagine something like this,” Altuve said. “What we’re living is a dream come true.”
Altuve hit a two-run homer to tie Game 1 of the ALCS Friday night before Correa’s solo shot in the seventh inning put them on top in a 5-4 win. The Red Sox hit two grand slams in Game 2 to tie the series with a 9-5 victory.
Game 3 is Monday night in Boston.
Altuve’s homer Friday was the 20th of his postseason career, tying him with Yankees’ great Derek Jeter for third most in MLB history. Correa’s blast gave him five RBIs this postseason and 55 in his career to pass Albert Pujols for the most of any active player.
Blunder costs Dodgers: If Chris Taylor could do it all over, he would’ve stopped at second base on Cody Bellinger’s ninth-inning single.
He called it a bad read on the bases.
“As I was rounding second, I saw (right fielder Joc Pederson) get the ball sooner than I anticipated,” Taylor said, “and I thought twice about not getting thrown out at third, and then he just threw it back behind me.”
The Dodgers had trouble getting all the way around the bases throughout Saturday night’s NL Championship Series opener. None stung quite like Taylor’s blunder.
Taylor got caught in a rundown in the ninth, ending the Dodgers’ last scoring chance before Austin Riley’s game-ending RBI single in bottom of the inning lifted the host Braves to a 3-2 win.
Game 2 was Sunday night but it ended too late for this edition.