Houston Astros outfielder Yordan Álvarez had already made an imprint on the team’s ALDS series against the Seattle Mariners, hitting a walk-off home run in Game 1 of the series. In Game 2, Álvarez one-upped himself in a huge way to help the Astros stay in control of this series.
It was a pitcher’s duel throughout in Game 2, but the turning point in the game is when Álvarez came up to bat in the bottom of the sixth inning.
To that point, Mariners starting pitcher Luis Castillo had been excellent at limiting the explosive Astros offense, but Álvarez continued his postseason heroics with a clutch two-run home run to give the Astros a 3-2 lead.
An RBI single from Alex Bregman in the eighth inning added to the Houston lead. That was enough for the Astros bullpen, who pitched 3.1 shutout innings to lock up a 4-2 win. That gave Houston a 2-0 lead in the series.
As a team, the Astros have performed very well this series. But many are pointing out just how excellent Álvarez has been against Seattle.
According to ESPN Stats & Info via Jeff Passan, his latest home run makes him the first player in MLB history to hit two go-ahead home runs while trailing in the sixth inning or later in postseason play.
This speaks to just how clutch Yordan Álvarez has been, and he will clearly be a problem for any team the Astros face this postseason.
Houston is now just one game from advancing to the ALCS, where it will face off against the winner of the Yankees–Guardians series.
They will have a chance to eliminate Seattle on Saturday when the two teams will face off in a pivotal Game 3 in the series.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.