Astros’ mighty giant slayer
Houston’s All-Star second baseman continues postseason display of power.
Altuve’s bat comes to life with a clutch home run in the 10th.
Step up, and step back down soon. A simple pattern developed in Jose Altuve’s trips to bat in Wednesday’s second game of the World Series at Dodger Stadium.
In the All-Star’s first plate appearance, he saw three pitches and struck out swinging. In his second plate appearance, he saw three pitches and struck out looking. He saw two pitches in his third plate appearance and popped out, and three in his fourth, when he grounded out.
It had been an impatient, ill-producing day for the Houston Astros second baseman, until he took two fastballs outside to begin the 10th inning. The third fastball from Dodgers reliever Josh Fields, clocked at 97 mph, hummed through the middle of the zone and Altuve slammed it to left-center for a tie-breaking solo shot.
It was not even the game’s penultimate home run, and that go-ahead run did not hold, but it represented Altuve’s fearsome return to form for the five games that could take place over the next week.
After the game, Altuve said he was elated to homer in such an important spot for his team. When asked to assess his earlier failings in Wednesday’s win, he feigned ignorance.
“Oh,” he said. “I forgot about that.”
His teammates spoke for him.
“That’s the guy we know. He’s one of the best hitters in the game,” said Houston outfielder Cameron Maybin, who turned his answer to the Dodgers’ pitchers. “Those guys get paid to get guys out, and they did a good job earlier in the game of keeping him off balance.”
Altuve’s six home runs lead all postseason participants. He entered Wednesday hitting .386, with as many walks and strikeouts, and he had not struck out more than once in a dozen previous games this month. Then came the two in the first three innings, but his heroics provided him redemption.
“We like him in every situation that happens,” Maybin said. “We like him up there in whatever spot it may be. He’s nothing short of amazing, and that was another amazing moment from that guy.”
Astros manager A.J. Hinch noted before the series began that Altuve was not subject to slumps in the same way that other hitters are. They are contained to shorter lengths of time — like, say, the first nine innings of an 11-inning game. His .346 average in the regular season proved that.
“He’s been having good at-bats. He’s just been getting under them or just missing them,” said Astros catcher Brian McCann. “That ball he hit there is one of the hardest balls you’ll ever see hit.”
Astros shortstop Carlos Correa, who followed Altuve’s homer with one of his own, supplied a succinct explanation of his teammate’s performance.
“He’s still the same player, man,” Correa said.
Altuve remains the American League’s likely most valuable player, and four hours before Wednesday’s home run, Altuve earned the league’s Hank Aaron Award as its most outstanding offensive performer. The results are culled from a combination of voting from fans and a panel of Hall of Famers convened by Aaron, and the winners take part in a news conference alongside Aaron.
In an underground room at Dodger Stadium, the 83year-old legend referenced Altuve’s 5-6 frame, saying that he “stood tall” this season. Aaron said a player’s height was irrelevant, as long as that player had sufficient “warmth and knowhow and drive.” He said Altuve had demonstrated that he had.
“There are not many players I would pay to go see,” Aaron said, “but I’d pay to see Altuve.”
pedro.moura@latimes.com Twitter: @pedromoura