ALDS GAME TWO REACTION
Yordan does it again, Astros beat the Mariners, 4-2
Oct 13, 2022, 6:01 pm
ALDS GAME TWO REACTION
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The Astros and Mariners sent two stud pitchers to the mound for Game 2 of the ALDS. Many expected this to be a game where runs would be tough to come by with Framber Valdez (2.82 ERA) and Luis Castillo (2.99 ERA) on the mound.
The Astros were the first team to get on the board with Kyle Tucker crushing a slider to right field for a solo home run in the bottom of the second. Astros up 1-0 after two innings.
LTG. pic.twitter.com/VRMgqVEas0
— Houston Astros (@astros) October 13, 2022
With two outs in the top of the third, J.P. Crawford ripped a double off the left field wall bringing up Cal Raleigh. Raleigh grounded up the middle and Jose Altuve made an incredible play throwing him out to end the inning. A great scoop by Yuli Gurriel should also be mentioned.
🤯🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/VTVKNcEYIa
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) October 13, 2022
Framber Valdez got into some trouble in the top of the fourth inning, getting behind in the count repeatedly. With one out, Eugenio Suarez walked, Mitch Haniger doubled on a ground ball to left with Suarez getting to third. Carlos Santana reached on a fielder's choice with Framber airmailing a ground ball past Martin Maldonado tieing the game at one.
Santana was thrown out trying to get to second base. Dylan Moore then singled on a line drive to right, scoring Haniger. Cal Raleigh lined out to center, ending the inning. Mariners 2, Astros 1.
Jeremy Pena led off the bottom of the fourth roping a double to right center, bringing Yordan Alvarez to the plate with no outs. Yordan popped out to shallow left field, giving Alex Bregman a shot to tie the game. Bregman lined out to right making it two outs with Tucker up to bat. Tucker popped out to right, wasting a leadoff double from Jeremy Pena.
With two outs in the top of the sixth, Framber walked Mitch Haniger, Carlos Santana doubled, and Dylan Moore recorded a walk which would be the last batter Valdez would face in the game. Hector Neris would come in to pitch to Cal Raleigh. Neris got Raleigh to ground out to the right side of the infield keeping the score Mariners 2, Astros 1.
The Astros would ride the momentum of Neris getting out of a jam in the bottom of the sixth. After a Jose Altuve strikeout, Jeremy Pena hit a bloop single to center giving him his second hit of the game bringing up Yordan Alvarez. And you guessed it, Yordan blasted a two-run homer into the Crawford Boxes giving the Astros a 3-2 lead.
You cannot stop Yordan, you can only hope to contain him. pic.twitter.com/qpcrEUXGkB
— MLB (@MLB) October 13, 2022
After the Astros bullpen held the Mariners scoreless in the seventh and eighth innings, the Astros came to bat looking to add to their lead. With two outs in the inning, Jeremy Pena worked a walk bringing Yordan to the plate. Alvarez would be intentionally walked sending Alex Bregman into the batters box. Bregman quickly slapped a single to right field scoring Pena. Kyle Tucker would strike out, ending the inning. Astros 4, Mariners 2.
Ryan Pressly came in to pitch the ninth inning for Houston. After giving up a double to Julio Rodriguez, Pressly struck out Ty France to secure the win for Houston.
Astros 4, Mariners 2.
Two first-place teams, identical records, and a weekend set with serious measuring-stick energy.
The Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs open a three-game series Friday night at Daikin Park, in what could quietly be one of the more telling matchups of the summer. Both teams enter at 48-33, each atop their respective divisions — but trending in slightly different directions.
The Astros have been red-hot, going 7-3 over their last 10 while outscoring opponents by 11 runs. They've done it behind one of the best pitching staffs in baseball, with a collective 3.41 ERA that ranks second in the American League. Houston has also been dominant at home, where they’ve compiled a 30-13 record — a stat that looms large heading into this weekend.
On the other side, the Cubs have held their ground in the NL Central but have shown some recent shakiness. They're 5-5 over their last 10 games and have given up 5.66 runs per game over that stretch. Still, the offense remains dangerous, ranking fifth in on-base percentage across the majors. Kyle Tucker leads the way with a .287 average, 16 homers, and 49 RBIs, while Michael Busch has been hot of late, collecting 12 hits in his last 37 at-bats.
Friday’s pitching matchup features Houston’s Brandon Walter (0-1, 3.80 ERA, 1.10 WHIP) and Chicago’s Cade Horton (3-1, 3.73 ERA, 1.29 WHIP), a promising young arm making one of his biggest starts of the season on the road. Horton will have his hands full with Isaac Paredes, who’s slugged 16 homers on the year, and Mauricio Dubón, who’s found a groove with four home runs over his last 10 games.
It’s the first meeting of the season between these two clubs — and if the trends continue, it may not be the last time they cross paths when it really counts.
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -112, Cubs -107; over/under is 8 1/2 runs
Here's a preview of Joe Espada's Game 1 lineup.
The first thing that stands out is rookie Cam Smith is hitting cleanup, followed by Jake Meyers. Victor Caratini is the DH and is hitting sixth. Christian Walker is all the way down at seventh, followed by Yainer Diaz, and Taylor Trammell who is playing left field.
How the mighty have fallen.
Pretty wild to see Walker and Diaz hitting this low in the lineup. However, it's justified, based on performance. Walker is hitting a pathetic .214 and Diaz is slightly better sporting a .238 batting average.
Screenshot via: MLB.com
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