• CREECH: GONZALEZ COMES UP CLUTCH.
Marwin Gonzalez was already having an exceptional day.
He had hits in his first two at-bats and was headed to the plate for his third. This time, there were two Astros on base — Jose Altuve and Alex Bregman — and one out.
The Astros were down a run and needed to get something going.
Cleveland decided to make a pitching change just as Gonzalez headed to the plate. Indians lefthander Andrew Miller entered the game to in relief of righthander starter Carlos Carrasco, which sent Gonzalez to the other side of the plate.
The switch didn’t rattle the switch hitter as he lined a double to right field.
Altuve and Bregman scored and the Astros took the lead.
Gonzalez would go on to finish 4-of-4 en route to a 3-1 victory for the Astros, who are up 2-0 in the best-of-five ALDS and head to Cleveland for Game 3 on Monday.
Gonzalez is no stranger to big moments, but it has been awhile since he has had one.
“I think everyone remembers World Series Game 2,” Bregman said while sitting next to Gonzalez on Saturday.
Beating the odds
It’s true. Gonzalez’s postseason could have been forgettable last year without the ninthinning home run that sparked the Astros’ Game 2 win in Los Angeles. It would go down as one of the greatest moments of the playoffs for the champs last year.
So on Saturday afternoon, when he was obviously feeling it, no one was really surprised to see Gonzalez step up and produce.
“He’s been clutch for us for a long time,” Bregman said.
Gonzalez, who will be a free agent this offseason, has been working all season on his swing from both sides of the plate.
On Saturday, he’d been great early, ripping two early singles off Carrasco.
When Indians manager Terry Francona made the pitching change, the odds were stacked against Gonzalez. Miller is a lefty and one who has given Gonzalez fits. Before Saturday, he was 1-for-8 with six strikeouts against Miller.
‘What a sweet hit’
Gonzalez didn’t say if he was aware of his history against Miller. It didn’t seem to matter to him.
He was a little surprised to see the pitching change, but he reacted quickly and made the most of it.
“I’ve just been swinging from the right side just a little bit, especially because (Carlos) Correa is behind me and (Yuli Gurriel) is in front of me,” Gonzalez said. “So I didn’t think that they were going to bring a lefty to face me. Well, I was lucky that I got the pitch and got the runs to win the game.” Lucky? Maybe a little. More likely, he was just doing what he seems to do best. Adapting.
That has been the strength of Gonzalez for years now.
He can play almost any position. He can hit an array of pitchers. He doesn’t rattle easily or lose control.
The beginning of this season wasn’t especially strong for him, but he worked at it. He has never emerged as one of the Astros’ star players, but he has contributed in a lot of ways to the team’s success.
He’s playing for a title repeat and also for a new contract next season.
Gonzalez is a good guy to have around and proves it just about every time he becomes an afterthought on a team full of superstars.
After the go-ahead hit, Gonzalez didn’t stop. He singled one more time in the eighth inning to finish the day with four hits, tying the franchise record for most in a postseason game with Gurriel, Correa, Carlos Beltran and Terry Puhl.
Gonzalez’s third hit was exactly what the Astros needed when they needed it. Starting pitcher Gerrit Cole was doing an unbelievable job. While the majority of his performance was dominant, he’d allowed one home run and the Astros trailed.
Cleveland’s plan for Gonzalez was a good one. He hadn’t been good against Miller before. But he delivered at the timeliest of times.
“I mean, what a predicament,” Cole said. “He’s got two hits off Carrasco at that point, and he’s also having the best year of his career from the right side part of the plate. So really kind of puts you between a rock and a hard place. He stepped up. What a sweet hit.”
Managerial pat on the back
Gonzalez seemed to be relieved after the game. It made sense. He has been working toward a day like Saturday.
“I put a lot of work into the season,” he said. “It was a tough season for me on the offensive side, but this is baseball. Everybody knows how hard it is, how hard it is to be consistent. I’ve been putting in a lot of work. It felt good today.”
Astros manager A.J. Hinch understands the beauty of his team more than anyone. He has said it over and over again this year and now it rings true in the postseason. The Astros are dangerous because they have so many weapons.
“I’m proud of him because he’s had to fight and claw, and he’s been a huge part of our success, not only this year but in recent years,” Hinch said. “And that’s pretty awesome to see him come through.”