Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve, Houston Astros. (Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports)
Carlos Correa was a big fan of Michael Brosseau’s game-winning home run against the Yankees
Brosseau got his ultimate revenge on the Yankees, as did the entire Rays team, when he hit a game-winning home run against Aroldis Chapman in the bottom of the eighth inning on Friday night’s Game 5. He had one fan in particular, in Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa.
A simple statement, yet one that speaks volumes. Correa was pretty clearly rooting against the Yankees, and it’s easy to see why since New York has spoken out against Houston as much as any other team outside of Los Angeles. The Astros sign-stealing scandal rightfully painted the Astros as the villains of baseball, but Brosseau and the Rays have allowed their play to do the talking, while the Yankees have shot verbal bullets in the direction of Correa and Houston. The All-Star shortstop’s choice was obvious.
Rays-Astros still makes for an intriguing matchup
The Rays did throw some subtle shade in the Astros’ direction. While playing Jay Z’s ‘Empire State of Mind’ to troll the Yankees postgame, they were seen banging on trash cans. That’s a not-so-subtle shot at the Astros sign-stealing scandal, in which they’d use a hallway trash can as a signal of what pitch was coming.
No series provides such a dichotomy of good vs evil on the surface. The Rays just beat the big bad Yankees and are among the lowest payrolls in all of baseball. The Astros, meanwhile, cheated the game to win championships. Who would you root for?
That storyline and more are just now developing in the days leading up to the ALCS.