HOUSTON — The trio of flags — the United States of America, the Lone Star State of Texas and the Astros of Houston — billowed in the wind above Minute Maid Park as Alex BregmanHe rapped his feet with his bat, and moved towards home plate. He had just hours before prepared for the eventual win of 3-2 over the New York Yankees in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series, Bregman insisted he had no opinion, none at all, about the prospect of playing with his ballpark’s roof open. He had reason to hum a different tune after what happened when he returned to the batter’s box.
The Yankees starter’s jersey Luis SeverinoThe breeze blew through the air. Severino directed a 97.4 mph fastball on Bregman’s hands. Bregman won the battle and lifted the heater into a jet stream. It flew. BaseballSavant calculated that the ball had a expected batting average (.040). Every percentage counts: This was the three-run homer that propelled BaseballSavant to the top of the league. HoustonTo a 2-0 lead for this series.
Alex Bregman slugging a three-run homer to get the Astros ahead
It’s Bregman’s 14th #postseasonThe most homers by third basemen in MLB history.
🎥 @MLB | @Astros pic.twitter.com/ulXGZNpnym
— The Athletic MLB (@TheAthleticMLB) October 21, 2022
Astros veteran Lance McCullers Jr.We had been discussing the postseason. These two weeks have seen a lot of debate about the fairness and justice of Major League Baseball’s expanded playoffs. Why is the 111-win limit? DodgersThe 101-Braves sat at home, while the 89 winners were out. PadresThe 87-win PhilliesDo you want to win a pennant Is there any secret formula to October success? What is the secret to October success?
McCullers had the answer.
“I think it’s just luck,” McCullers said. “I think, at some point, it’s just luck. It’s preparation — and it’s luck.”
Maybe. Game 2 provided an archetypal demonstration of the principle. Why? Aaron Judge’s smoking first-inning line drive — expected batting average: .810 — or his eighth-inning smash — expected batting average: .910 — land in gloves when Bregman’s ball landed in the seats? You can chalk it up to luck — good fortune if you own an orange rally towel, an infuriating fluke if you sport a “Got Rings?” T-shirt — but these are the breaks of the postseason game. The baseball bounces in whatever direction it is supposed to bounce. Or it soars to wherever it is intended to go. The field is open to all players to decide how they react.
So: No. This was not a win for the wind. The Astros did. It was the Astros’ fourth World Series win in six years. Framber ValdezHe pitched seven innings of two run baseball, overcoming his own mistakes in the field to keep his opponents’ curveballs and two-seams sinkers from the air. Bregman’s homer held up as the deciding blow.
Houston is in charge of the elements during regular season. The league office can have a say once the playoffs start. The decision to open the roof on Thursday came from discussions between MLB’s ballpark operations department, the Astros and the umpires, an MLB official said. An Astros spokesman said he could not speak to the organization’s preference. Only one game was played in regular season without the roof up.
“There’s going to be a predominant wind pattern that’s ordinarily not here,” manager Dusty Baker said before the game.
As the Yankees were practicing batting, the afternoon sun set in the open sky above left field. In Game 1, the team struck out 17 times. Seven runners were left without a home and the lineup was unable to score with runners in scoring positions. Aaron Boone, the manager, was forced to change his lineup due to offensive desiccation. After four homers in six consecutive games, Harrison BaderMoved into the leadoff slot. Boone benched shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa(Two strikeouts Wednesday) and designated batter Matt CarpenterSix strikeouts in six postseason games. Two rookies were their replacements. Oswald PerazaAt shortstop, and Oswaldo CabreraThe left field was where it all began, with Giancarlo StantonThe D.H.
In Game 1, the Yankees did not make contact against the Astros’ ace. Justin Verlander. Valdez provided a different type of puzzle. With a groundball rate of 66.5 percent, Valdez was the top-rated starting pitcher with nearly 10 percent more than No. The list had 2 men. Giants starter Logan Webb. With his 94-mph sinker, Valdez keeps hitters grounded. He also has a healthy dose of curveballs. Stanton and Bader each crushed sinkers into the ground in an inning that was 1-2-3.
But Valdez wasn’t displaying the same efficiency. Five of the six first hitters Valdez faced fell to him on 2-0 counts. Yankees third baseman Josh DonaldsonValdez was pressured with a second-inning double. Valdez was caught by a fan. Kyle HigashiokaWith three curveballs, one Yankee was left stranded. The Yankees were making hard contact, but the balls were still being gobbled up by Houston’s gloves.
The nature of Valdez’s approach makes him reliant on his fielders. Sometimes this includes himself. After being given a three-run lead in the fourth, Valdez mishandled it. Stanton threw a curveball into dirt after Aaron Judge had hit a leadoff double. The grounder was dropped by Valdez. He fell to the ground as he threw to first. The baseball was out of reach of Valdez. Yuli Gurriel. It was a double error. One for the fielding, one for throwing. Judge and Stanton were in scoring position with one out. The Yankees brought them home to cut Houston’s lead to one.
Severino was playing the Astros in the playoffs for the fourth consecutive time. In 2017, Severino had already lost to them twice. They suffered their third loss in 2019. He had not reached the fifth inning in his previous three outings. Consider his performance on Thursday as a sign of progress. After allowing a single to outfielder, Severino departed from the diamond. Kyle Tucker.
Valdez surpassed his pitching counterpart. He slashed the final seven batters that he faced. To subdue the Yankees in seventh, he resheathed the curve. Higashioka as well as Donaldson were able to swing through a breaking ball. Peraza completed the frame with the same move. Peraza had very little luck, just like his teammates against Valdez.
The Yankees had one last reason to look up and wonder what could have been. Judge once again crushed a baseball in the eighth with the tying runners at first. This one flew towards the right-field fence. Tucker retraced his steps to the wall. Tucker stood up and jumped. When it was clear that he had saved the day, the crowd gasped. The Astros were still ahead. The World Series was still within reach. The flags flew in the wind high above it.
(Photo: Thomas Shea / USA Today)
