ASTROS BOUNCE BACK AL SERIES WITH YANKEES AT 1-1
HOUSTON – In a battle of the bullpens, Carlos Correa felt the greatest relief.
Injured down the stretch and slumping this month, Correa hit a leadoff home run in the 11th inning that lifted the Houston Astros over the New York Yankees 3-2 Sunday night, tying the AL Championship Series at one game apiece.
Correa, who earlier lined an RBI double and made a sensational play at shortstop, connected for an opposite-field shot to right off J.A. Happ. “Not playing a couple of weeks before the playoffs and then not producing for or my team offensively, obviously it’s tough, getting hurt and everything,” the All-Star said. “But it’s all worth it for moments like this, moments like this where you give your team a chance to win every day, it’s worth it, man.”
Hours earlier, Correa was confident this would be the day he turned things around. About time, too, after starting out 3 for 22 in the postseason after returning from back problems.
“I’ve got my swing back,” he said then. “I’m going to hit a homer tonight.”
And with a swing that kept Houston from falling into an 0-2 hole, he did just that.
“Going into that last inning I thought: ‘I got this. I feel like I got this,’” Correa said. “And I had the right approach against him. I’ve been successful against him going the other way. And that’s what I try to do, I saw a good pitch down the middle and I drove the other way.”