Jose Altuve, Houston Astros. (Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports)
Jose Altuve is not playing Gold Glove defense at second base in Game of the 2020 ALDS.
Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers has to be frustrated with Jose Altuve at second base.
Already down 1-0 in their best-of-seven series vs. the top-seeded Tampa Bay Rays, the Astros have gotten a pair of throwing errors out of Altuve before the bottom of the fourth inning. While the second one in the bottom of the third allowed Brandon Lowe to reach safely and no runs came across, the result wasn’t the same in the first frame when Manuel Margot went yard.
The ALCS is the wrong time to start becoming 21st century Chuck Knoblauch.
We know what Altuve can do at the plate. With or without a buzzer or a trash can, he has emerged as one of the most prolific hitters at second base in recent memory. However, he may end up costing his team a very important Game 2 with a pair of mental lapses. Altuve got away with his second throwing error of the day, but this kind of defensive shortcomings cannot continue.
Nobody outside of the Greater Houston Area wants this baseball team to win. Even though nobody outside of the Tampa Bay Area can name a single player on the Rays, they are America’s favorite AL team at this time. Simply put, Tampa Bay is too talented of a team and two well-managed under skipper Kevin Cash to not take advantage of perpetual Altuve defensive miscues.
Have we seen the last of Altuve skipping the ball to first or is this now officially a thing?