For the Houston Astros, the American League Division Series in opposition to the Seattle Mariners produced excellent information and unhealthy information. The excellent information was once glaring — Houston received the collection. The unhealthy information, even though, is on the subject of as glaring. José Altuve is off his sport — badly.
When Altuve got here to the plate within the 9th inning with two outs and two on, he was once already 0-for-12 for the collection with 4 strikeouts. But with one excellent swing, Altuve may have put the Astros forward and despatched them to the ALCS, offsetting a lot of the sooner struggles. Instead, he was once totally overmatched by means of Seattle reliever, Matt Brash. Brash threw 3 breaking balls out of the strike zone. Altuve presented in any respect 3 of them, lacking badly each and every time.
Jose Altuve with one of the most worst plate appearances you’ll be able to ever see. ⚾️ percent.twitter.com/t0sYyp2xYC
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) October 15, 2022
Things didn’t get much better from there. Altuve struck out once more when he got here up within the twelfth inning, his 6th of the collection. He made touch within the fifteenth and seventeenth innings at-bats however flew out each occasions.
For the ALDS, Altuve went 0-for-16 with just one stroll. Worse, Altuve struck out six occasions in the ones 16 at-bats. This is a man who has led Major League Baseball in hits two occasions and the American League 4 occasions. He’s additionally received MLB’s batting identify 3 times and the AL batting crown two times. Furthermore, whilst six strikeouts in 3 video games won’t look like an enormous deal in trendy baseball, that’s two a sport. Altuve hasn’t ever struck out greater than 91 occasions in a season.
Altuve’s ongoing struggles had been closely spotted by means of other folks staring at the sport.
is….jose altuve…..good enough?
— kennedi landry (@kennlandry) October 16, 2022
Altuve is so out of varieties that I seemed up and mistook a horrible McCormick swing for one in all his.
— Jerome Solomon (@JeromeSolomon) October 16, 2022
José Altuve’s swings as of late 😬
No different batter in all of the pitch monitoring technology (2008-now) has swung at extra pitches out of the zone in a single postseason sport. percent.twitter.com/pROegcPWp1
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) October 16, 2022
Before as of late’s sport Dusty mentioned he idea Altuve’s timing was once a “little off” for the reason that lengthy damage after the tip of the common season and it kind of feels like not anything has progressed.
— Matt Musil (@KHOUSportsMatt) October 16, 2022
Jose Altuve, totally and completely out of whack. percent.twitter.com/Xmpb8SjhxY
— Daniel Kramer (@DKramer_) October 16, 2022
Obviously, Altuve’s struggles didn’t price the Astros even one sport in opposition to the Mariners. But if Houston is taking a look to get again to the World Series and win it, Altuve will want to temporarily get out of this slump.