ARLINGTON, Texas – Jose Altuve has appeared in 101 playoff games. He hit a home run in 24 of those games (and 26 times overall). He was on the field and played second base in two World Series playoff games that gave the Astros their first and second championships. For all of his postseason success and for all of his magical — sometimes even controversial — October moments, a new personal favorite stood at the top of Altuve’s list:
Game 5 of the 2023 American League Championship Series.
The Astros trailed the Rangers by two runs in the bottom of the ninth. Adolis García had just given the Rangers the lead with a thunderous three-run blast. Benches and bullpens had also just been emptied after Bryan Abreu hit García with a pitch (more on that later). Friday’s talk was that Altuve, the indescribably talented Altuve, never seems to get tired of producing big moments.
With two runners on and no outs against Rangers closer Jose Leclerc, Altuve blasted a three-run home run just over Evan Carter’s outstretched arm in left field. Altuve’s teammates rushed onto the field, some jumping over the dugout railing, others waving their arms wildly and completely losing their minds. Alex Bregman said he lost his voice from screaming so much. No one could explain why or how the longest-reigning Astro can keep hitting the moment.
In this case, Houston’s dramatic three-run home run gave Houston a stunning 5-4 victory over the Rangers on Friday night at Globe Life Field. The Astros battled back from a 2-0 series deficit to a 3-2 lead in the ALCS.
“You don’t use the word ‘expect,’ but you expect something big to happen,” Justin Verlander said of Altuve. “And most of the time he just seems to deliver.”
The late-inning theatrics made Friday perhaps the most exciting game in Houston’s seven-year dynasty since another Game 5 – from the 2017 World Series, which was also turned by an Altuve home run. So forgive the 33-year-old Altuve if his last performance was his favorite.
“I have to say that,” Altuve said afterwards about his best playoff moment. “Because it just happened and I still have the emotions, the adrenaline in me. Yes, it was a cool moment and because we won in the end.”
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For Altuve and these uncompromising Astros, winning was all that mattered. But García, the Rangers’ talented outfielder and team-appointed hype man, tried his best to thwart their plans.
The momentum of Game 5 finally changed in Texas’ favor in the sixth inning when García sent a three-run home run to left field. García immediately turned to his dugout as he slowly walked toward first base. He yelled at his teammates, hit the ground with force with his bat, and only then began his trot around the bases. He had just given his club a 4-2 lead in the sixth inning – the Rangers’ first since Game 2.
“We’re in the postseason, you know,” García said of his celebration. “It’s the moment. If you hit a ball like that, you’ll celebrate. That’s where we’re at right now.”
On García’s next at-bat, Abreu hit him near the shoulder with a 99 mph fastball. While Abreu later claimed that he did not hit García intentionally, the hitter and the refereeing team disagreed.
“I don’t think anyone’s mad about him puffing up a home run,” Verlander said. “Honestly, it was the biggest home run of his career.”
After García was plunked, he immediately pointed his finger in the face of Astros catcher Martín Maldonado. The Houston backstop shook his head as García continued to stare at him. Against the backdrop of the diamond, both benches and bullpens emptied. Chaos ensued as the two playoff squads gathered in a heap at home. García was eventually guided off the field with the help of Astros slugger Yordan Álvarez.
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“I think every hitter would react the same way after a home run,” Maldonado said. “But in this situation we are two behind [runs], there’s a chance to come back in one of the most important games in the series. So I would say we weren’t trying to beat anyone.
Abreu echoed that sentiment himself.
“He probably overreacted a little bit in the heat of the game,” he said of García. “It wasn’t something I tried to do. My plan for him was to get the pitch up and in and the slider down and away. And I just missed the pitch. …
“I’m the type of guy who doesn’t care about partying. That was a big, big moment, a big point for him. He hit a home run, he had a chance to celebrate and do whatever he wanted.”
After the HBP, Abreu, García and Astros captain Dusty Baker were all ejected as the referees ruled that Abreu had intentionally hit García. Baker was furious at this verdict and engaged in a lengthy argument, during which, among other things, he violently threw away his own cap, before returning to his usual spot on the bench and apparently refusing to accept his own sending off.
After a 12-minute delay, Baker was forced to leave his post in the dugout by home plate umpire Marvin Hudson. Baker eventually withdrew.
“It didn’t make any sense to me,” Baker later said of Abreu’s ejection. “Nobody likes getting hit. But you’re not going to add runs in the ninth inning in the playoffs when we’re trying to win a game. I mean, how do you prove intent? I don’t understand.” And I haven’t been this angry in a long time. And I don’t usually get angry about nothing.”
Verlander added: “At this point I don’t know how these six guys came together and came to the conclusion that they were sure it was intentional. Because I think from a baseball perspective it certainly wasn’t.”
Altuve and the Astros fighting back in the ninth inning made Baker’s tantrum worthwhile. Afterwards, several Astros players, including Ryan Pressly, admitted that the bench-clearing incident had fired up the team. Pressly closed out the ninth, but not before allowing the first two Texas batters to reach safely and get a few loud outs. The Rangers threatened to come back until the last pitch. Pressly pounded his chest hard after getting Carter ready to advance to the final. His emotions conveyed how important and energizing this victory was for Houston, a victory that would not have been possible without Altuve’s heroics.
“He’s the best athlete I’ve ever seen,” Bregman said of the second baseman. “Slow heartbeat, confidence. The game is slow for him. He’s just incredible.”
The long and dramatic final innings were in stark contrast to the first half of the game.
All evening, Verlander challenged the Rangers with his four-seam fastball. Of its total 82 parking spaces, 52 were heaters. And Texas swung his fastball just five times and missed. But he pressed on anyway. It was a change in strategy for Verlander, who threw the fastball just 47% of the time in Game 1 of the ALCS. The veteran had hoped the space would serve him well. However, this ultimately led to his downfall, in his third encounter with García pounding the left seats at 95 miles per hour.
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However, García’s subsequent antics could have potentially damaged his team. Certainly his explosion at Maldonado only served as motivation for the Astros before their final offensive move. Clearing the benches also allowed Texas closer José Leclerc to go cold. Leclerc entered the game for the third time in the eighth inning on a two-out double by Kyle Tucker off Aroldis Chapman, then had to wait out a long delay while the benches cleared as García’s emotions ran high. Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said he was sure Leclerc’s effectiveness would be affected by the break.
“I was worried about this delay. I really was,” Bochy said. “It was a long affair. To be honest, it took too long. The whole thing is a load of crap to be honest with what happened. Who knows what the intentions are, but it’s not the first time it’s happened.”
Ultimately, the Rangers missed another good outing from starter Jordan Montgomery, who earned a no-decision after allowing two earned runs over 5.1 innings. Montgomery owns a 2.38 ERA in his four October starts. He has given up two or fewer runs three times. But for Montgomery to pitch again this year, the Rangers must advance to the World Series.
Unfortunately, it’s the Astros who are just one win away from their third straight Fall Classic appearance. This all-Texas rivalry gained new momentum in Game 5 and is far from over. The Astros have struggled to win at home all year, and the Rangers will face struggling right-hander Nathan Eovaldi against struggling left-hander Framber Valdez in Game 6 on Sunday (FS1, 8:03 p.m. ET). Houston now has two chances to win at Minute Maid Park, but if the last five games have taught us anything, it’s that this is still anyone’s game.
Deesha Thosar is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. Deesha, the daughter of Indian immigrants, grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.