Springer owns fall
Homegrown star’s two-HR outing adds to franchise legacy, brings sweep into play
LOS ANGELES — If this is George Springer’s swan song, the last Houston hurrah for this franchise’s home grown center fielder, he is leaving with a legacy no other Astro may be able to reach.
Springer shines brightest in October. His at-bats are appointment television. Both dugouts quiet when he approaches the plate. One waits in fear of the pain he may inflict. The other awaits the exploits of another October of George.
Springer, who struck two more home runs Tuesday, has pummeled Oakland A’s pitching across two games at Dodger Stadium, totally flipping this series’ one decided advantage. He passed none other than Babe Ruth on the all-time postseason homer list with a solo shot in the fifth inning of the Astros’ 5-2 win in Game 2 of the American League Division Series.
Springer has six hits in 11 at-bats against Oakland pitching. Three have left the ballpark. Springer almost solely has the Astros, who lead the series 2-0, on the brink of a fourth consecutive berth in the American League Championship Series. That’s all he cares to emphasize, even as he cements his place among baseball’s elite.
“I don’t really pay attention to that
stuff,” said Springer, who had a four-hit day in Monday’s opener. “I’d rather win. I’d much rather us win.”
Just six players in major league history have hit more postseason home runs than Springer, whose 17put himina four-way tie for seventh. Manny Ramirez leads the sport with 29, and while reaching that this October might be too great a feat, doubting Springer’s ability in any postseason format feels unwise.
The spoils of free agency await this winter, and Springer’s value increases with each October plate appearance. Coveted does not begin to describe the desire for a power-hitting outfielder who owns October. Springer’s time in orange and blue might be ending with one last run — one in which he is taking control.
“I’m looking at it as every day is a new day, honestly,” Springer said. “You understand what each day presents, and you go from there. Honestly, whatever happens at the end of the day happens, and you cross that bridge when you get to it.”
Five of Springer’s postseason homers have come at Dodger Stadium. Only “Mr. October” himself can claim more. Reggie Jackson hit six playoff home runs at Chavez Ravine during his Hall of Fame career, requiring 10 games to do so. Springer played his sixth Tuesday.
“You’ve come to expect it,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “This guy is a tremendous ballplayer and a tremendous athlete. His concentration level rises during these times. He’s not missing pitches that he should hit, and he’s hitting them out. Boy, it’s fun to watch him perform like this.”
Springer’s outburst carried an otherwise quiet afternoon from the Astros’ lineup. It offered starter Framber Valdez just enough cushion.
Valdez’s breakout season continued Tuesday with seven excellent innings. Khris Davis and Chad Pinder deposited solo home runs in Dodger Stadium’s steamy conditions, but anymore damage against him was nonexistent.
Valdez yielded five hits and struck out four. Davis reached on a one-out bloop single during the fourth, but Matt Olson’s groundball double play removed him from the basepaths. Valdez retired the next nine batters he faced. The surging southpaw has a 1.42 ERA and 0.79 WHIP across his last four outings. He proclaimed Tuesday this is the “best baseball of my life.”
Enoli Paredes and Ryan Pressly fired two scoreless frames to finish the game, giving the Astros a stranglehold on the series.
“With every victory, the energy and the confidence grows,” Baker said. “We’re expecting good things to happen. We’re expecting to win. When you’re going bad like we were for so long, you start looking for things to happen adversely to you versus positively to you.”
A day after striking 16 hits and scoring 10 runs, Houston scattered just six hits. Springer gave his two homers. Nine-hole hitter Martin Maldonado added another in the fifth, bringing Oakland starter Sean Manaea’s afternoon to an abrupt end.
On Sept.10, Manaea made a bid for history against the Astros. The righthander carried a perfect game through five innings in a 3-1 A’s win at Oakland Coliseum.
Houston’s aggression was apparent. Manaea threw only 61pitches in his seven-inning stint, with the Astros seeing fewer than 10 in four of those frames.
Manaea walked only eight in 54 regular-season innings, making the approach somewhat acceptable. He attacks both sides of the plate with a two-seam fastball and can flip a changeup or curveball when needed.
Tuesday offered a more disciplined battle. Manaea faced the Astros’ order twice. He required 65 pitches. Houston fouled off nine. The lineup swung and missed just four times. A baserunner reached in every inning but the second, applying constant pressure on a pitcher making just his second postseason appearance.
Manaea somehow survived to see the fifth. His team trailed by just one run. After Josh Reddick rolled over a curveball for the first out, Maldonado arrived with four strikeouts in his first five at-bats of the series. Manaea missed his location with an 0-1 sinker. Maldonado redirected it over the leftfield wall.
“It’s always good when you can contribute,” Maldonado said. “I got big protection. I’ve got Georgie behind me.”
Maldonado’s blast brought A’s manager Bob Melvin from his dugout. The skipper summoned Yusmeiro Petit. Petit functions as the A’s fireman, the pitcher Melvin relies upon to get out of a game’s stickiest situation. Springer stood in wait. As Petit’s warmup music faded away, only the dull roar of artificial crowd noise remained. Both sides were silent. Springer stepped in.
Petit threw one pitch. The cutter stayed on the outer half of home plate. Springer struck it well anyway. The baseball flew into orbit. Springer admired it as he ambled slowly downthe first-base line. The dugout behind him descended into delirium. Springer’s ownership of October continued.
“It is unreal the stuff that he’s been doing lately for us,” Maldonado said. “That’s a guy that really loves being in that moment.”