ALCS: Astros Rolling Even as Jose Altuve Struggles

Altuve’s only offensive contributions before Saturday’s double had been a pair of walks and one run scored — he has struck out 10 times. It has been especially jarring after Altuve closed the regular season by hitting .444 over his last 14 games.

“It feels good,” Altuve said of his double. “I can refresh my mind.”

Added Baker: “When you get a hit when you’re 0-for-something, any knock is great.”

The struggles are not limited to Altuve. Yordan Alvarez, Houston’s designated hitter, hit two lead-changing home runs in the division series round, including a three-run walk-off in Game 1, but he is 1 for 10 with six strikeouts against the Yankees. Right fielder Kyle Tucker, who slugged 30 home runs during the regular season, is also 1 for 10 against the Yankees.

And yet, the mighty Astros keep winning.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/23/sports/baseball/jose-altuve-houston-astros-alcs.html