Altuve’s error, Margot’s HR help Tampa Bay go up 20
SAN DIEGO — Whether they’re in the field or at the plate, the Astros are finding it tough to summon their usual postseason proficiency in the ALCS.
Almost as tough as it is for Jose Altuve to throw to first base from shallow right field.
Altuve’s two throwing errors were the lowlight of Houston’s 42 loss to the Rays in Game 2 on Monday, with his first error prolonging the first inning and leading directly to Manuel Margot’s decisive threerun homer.
“We’re very surprised,” Houston manager Dusty Baker said. “That’s his first throwing error all year, and he had two of them today.“
Altuve’s mistakes and another quiet day at the plate have put the defending AL champion Astros in a 20 series hole in less than 24 hours in San Diego.
Margot homered one batter after a crucial Houston error and made a spectacular catch in right field in his former home ballpark.
Margot homered off Lance McCullers Jr. with two outs in the first inning on an 87degree afternoon. An inning later, he tracked George Springer’s long foul ball to right field while shielding his face from the sun and caught it as he tumbled over a padded railing atop a wall and landed on a walkway near the seats down the line at Petco Park.
Margot popped up and held up his glove with the ball after a 102foot sprint. That ended the inning, stranding two runners.
“To have the ability to know where you’re at, and kind of be able to say, ‘ Forget it, I know I’m going to hit something but I’m going in,’ and still hang on to the ball was really, really impressive,” manager Kevin Cash said.
Margot’s big plays made a winner of 36yearold Charlie
Morton, who improved to 40 with an 0.90 ERA in the past two postseasons.