Astros tweak lineup for Game 2, Yordan Alvarez playing through illness

Who's in, who's out

Yordan Alvarez Astros

Yordan Alvarez is playing through a virus, per report. Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images.

The Houston Astros host the Texas Rangers for Game 2 of the ALCS this afternoon at Minute Maid. Manager Dusty Baker made some adjustments to the lineup, with Michael Brantley playing left field on Monday.

Chas McCormick will move to center field, with Mauricio Dubon out of today's starting lineup. Kyle Tucker moved up from 5th to 3rd in the lineup, with Yordan Alvarez hitting 4th and Jose Abreu hitting 5th, after he hit cleanup in Game 1.

Framber Valdez takes the mound for Houston, and Nathan Eovalde will pitch for the Rangers.


Yordan Alvarez under the weather?

Dusty Baker spoke with The Athletic's Chandler Rome about an illness Yordan Alvarez is dealing with.

Screenshot via: Chandler Rome/X.

According to reports, Yordan was not present for introductions before Game 1. Based on Alvarez's struggles at the plate (0-4 3Ks) on Sunday, it's not surprising to hear that he wasn't feeling well.

Let's hope Yordan is feeling much better today, and the Astros are able to even the series.

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The Angels beat the Astros, 3-0. Composite Getty Image.

José Soriano and two relievers combined for a two-hitter and Oswald Peraza hit his first home run since a trade from the Yankees to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 3-0 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday.

Soriano (10-9) allowed one hit and struck out eight in seven innings. Luis GarcĂ­a allowed one hit in a scoreless eighth and Kenley Jansen threw a perfect ninth for his 25th save.

There were two outs in the fifth when Peraza connected off Hunter Brown (10-7) into the bullpen in right-center field to put the Angels up 1-0. His homer comes after his two-run single in the ninth inning Saturday helped Los Angeles to a 4-1 victory that snapped a three-game skid.

Yoan Moncada walked to start the eighth and scored on Mike Trout’s double that bounced off the wall in center field to make it 2-0. Taylor Ward walked before Luis Rengifo reached and Trout scored on an error by Lance McCullers Jr. when the pitcher overthrew first base.

Yordan Alvarez singled with no outs in the first and Soriano walked a batter in the second and sixth innings. The Astros didn’t get another hit until Ramón Urías doubled with one out in the eighth inning. Los Angeles outfielder Taylor Ward was injured trying to make a catch on that hit when he crashed face-first into the metal scoreboard in left field.

He was carted off the field holding a towel to the right side of his face. He was taken to a hospital by ambulance where interim manager Ray Montgomery said he would receive stitches to close the cut and be evaluated.

Brown allowed three hits and a run with five strikeouts in six innings. McCullers Jr. allowed three hits and two runs in his first relief appearance since 2018.

Key moment

The home run by Peraza.

Key stat

It’s the fifth time the Astros have been shut out this month.

Up next

LHP Yusei Kikuchi (6-9, 3.68 ERA) will start for Los Angeles in the series finale Monday against RHP Luis Garcia, who’ll make his return after sitting out since May 2023 recovering from Tommy John surgery.

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