The Houston Astros will leave New York City after losing the series to the Yankees. While they were able to beat old teammate Gerrit Cole in the rubber match, they can’t get out of town fast enough.
Jose Altuve hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the eighth inning as the crushing blow. A home run which should have allowed Altuve to exit Yankee Stadium with the last laugh. After a grueling 27 innings in the Bronx, where he heard every cuss word in the book hurled his way, he will feel more like a weight has been lifted from his shoulders more than anything else.
Astros second baseman Jose Altuve may have left New York on a high note, though he’ll continue to hear jeers all season.
Altuve is an easy target for opposing fans and their hatred. He was the Most Valuable Player during the 2017 season when the Astros trash-can beating scandal took place. He was one of the players, along with Alex Bregman, who gave public apologies after the scandal came to light, and many fans scoffed at their words. Altuve is also a very humble person who isn’t going to clap back at fans who spew insults.
In the first two games of the series with the Yankees, Altuve heard the worst from the Yankees fans. His production at the plate was also non-existent. He was hitting .247 entering the last game of the series, with a lone home run on the year, and was 1-8 in the first two games of the series.
That all changed in the top of the eighth inning with the Astros trailing by two.
Altuve’s home run was nice, and helped the Astros sneak out of town with a win, though the amount of pressure he has to be feeling is immense. Opposing fans are going to target him all year. Yankees fans will probably be the worst, and thankfully this series is out of the way already, but other fans who just can’t move on will be persistent. Any fan looking for a few minutes of fame will sneak in an inflatable trash can to a game, make a disparaging poster, and go on a profanity laced tried at the expense of the Astros second baseman.
For one day he handled it well, with his bat. Hopefully Altuve can continue to do so, and not let the season long barrage soak in.