Yordan Alvarez hit another go-ahead home run in Game 2 of the ALDS, and made MLB history in the process as the Astros defeated the Mariners.
One would assume the Seattle Mariners learned their lesson, but it took Scott Servais two tries to get it right.
Come the eighth inning, the Mariners intentionally walked Alvarez, voluntarily putting him on base. Sadly, before then, Seattle challenged Alvarez once again, and the AL MVP candidate made them pay for the second time in three days.
Luis Castillo challenged Alvarez with a 98 mph fastball, which he promptly hit into the left-field bleachers. The home run gave the Astros a 3-2 lead, which they would not relinquish.
Astros: Yordan Alvarez makes history
Alvarez made history on Thursday night, and ESPN’s Jeff Passan explained why:
“Before today, nobody in baseball history had hit more than one go-ahead homer while trailing in the sixth inning or later of a postseason game, per ESPN Stats and Info. Now, Yordan Álvarez has done it twice in two games. Very simply, he’s the one of the best hitters on the planet.”
Only two players have hit go-ahead home runs in back-to-back playoff games in the sixth inning or later, the other being former Angels star Troy Glaus. However, what makes Alvarez’s accomplishment unique is that Houston was trailing in both Game 1 and Game 2, while Glaus’ Angels were tied once during his memorable run.
Nonetheless, Alvarez entered the playoffs as one of the better postseason hitters in the majors — and that was before his most recent stretch.
On Tuesday, he hit a walk-off home run with his parents in attendance to watch him in a playoff game for the first time. On Thursday, he sent Houston fans home happy as well.
The Astros are a tough team to beat, and Alvarez is a major reason why.