ALTUVE HOMER SENDS ASTROS TO WORLD SERIES
HOUSTON—JOSE Altuve, the 5foot-6 driving force of Houston, delivered a swing that will play in Astros’ highlights forever.
Altuve homered off Aroldis Chapman with two outs in the ninth inning and Houston outlasted the New York Yankees, 64, Saturday night to advance to the World Series for the second time in three years.
“That’s one of the best moments of postseason history,” Houston general manager Jeff Luhnow said.
In a bullpen Game 6 with a back-and-forth finish, DJ Lemahieu hit a tying, two-run shot off Astros closer Roberto Osuna at the top of the ninth. Altuve answered with a tworun drive to left-center, setting off a wild celebration at Minute Maid Park and earning himself AL Championship Series MVP.
“Beautiful game,” Altuve said.
Astros ace Gerrit Cole was waiting to pitch a potential Game 7 on Sunday. Instead, the postseason star—undefeated since May 22—can be lined up for Game 1 at home against the NL champion Washington Nationals on Tuesday night.
Yuli Gurriel hit a three-run homer in the first inning, and flashy outfield defense helped Houston’s relievers defeat the Yankees and their vaunted bullpen.
It almost fell apart in the ninth. Gio Urshela singled off Osuna leading off for his third hit of the game, and Lemahieu put a ball into the first row of seats in right field—inches over the glove of leaping George Springer—to tie it at 4.
Altuve, a spark plug touted as Houston’s heart and soul, didn’t let this one get away.
“I get asked to describe Jose Altuve all the time,” manager AJ Hinch said. “I think MVP is what he is.”
The teams combined to use 14 pitchers in a drawn-out game that lasted four hours and nine minutes.
Houston’s Will Harris, who got four outs over the sixth and seventh innings and has yet to allow a run this postseason, was glad Houston’s bullpen got to show its stuff.
“We have a lot of guys with a lot of pride that are really good at their jobs,” he said.
“And I was excited for the opportunity for us to prove that today.”
The defense helped. Right fielder Josh Reddick dived for Brett Gardner’s liner for the second out of the sixth.