Yordan Alvarez gave his Houston Astros manager a thumbs up, picked up his bat and got back to swinging.
Things became scary in the first inning of the Astros’ 9-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday night, when Alvarez twisted his left ankle after grounding a ball to short for the final out of the frame. Houston could not afford their sharpest hitter being absent.
But after a quick meeting with manager Joe Espada at Rogers Centre, Alvarez announced that he was good to go. That was scary too, for the Blue Jays.
“I’m holding my breath and I’m like, ‘Oh, jeez,’” said Espada. “And then all of a sudden he goes and has a stellar performance.”
It has been all Yordan all the time in Toronto. The Astros’ slugger hit his third home run in as many games as part of a three-extra-base-hit, three RBI night that put the Astros in place for a series victory in Thursday’s finale.
Alvarez carried the team with a “tight’’ ankle. Something he achieved in a day’s work.
“It’s hard to believe everything he does on a daily basis,” Altuve said of Alvarez ahead of Wednesday’s win. “Just yesterday, he hit a 3-0 homer on a [low] changeup — not a lot of guys are able to do that. I’m happy for him. He’s very humble, he wants to win and help the team … so I’m happy for him.”
The hitter has gone 6-for-11 with three homers and eight RBIs over the first three matches of the series. He facilitated last month’s breakout into July and helped the Astros (44-2) to gain ground in the AL standings.
“We had a tough start to the season, but everyone knows what a great team we have here,” Alvarez said in Spanish. “And the time has come to show it.”
The Astros are also playing without Kyler Tucker. Tucker is absent due to a shin injury. Someone needed to step up for the team. By making few adjustments and renewed commitment to his goals, Alvarez has answered the call.
Therefore, it is only natural for Espada to get nervous after watching that awkward swing from Alvarez.
“Right now, we’re grinding, and we’re trying to finish strong this first half,” said Espada. “Any time you see someone limping off the field … you start kind of holding your breath, but these guys are resilient, man. They’re just going to keep grinding.”
