NEW YORK — Jose Altuve was hopping mad.
He had appeared to foul a ball off his left foot within the seventh inning of Sunday’s recreation on the New York Mets, with runners on second and third and two outs because the Houston Astros tried to spice up their 4-2 lead. The ball went on three hops to 3rd baseman Mark Vientos, who threw to first as Altuve remained close to the batter’s field.
Umpires dominated it an inning-ending groundout, and Altuve was ejected for the second time in his main league profession after tossing his helmet and bat.
“They did not see it,” Altuve mentioned after the Astros’ 10-5 victory in 11 innings, which lifted Houston above .500 for the primary time this yr at 42-41.
James Jean, umpiring behind the plate for the primary time after making his main league debut Friday, did not sign a foul ball.
“I perceive the man behind the plate did not see it as a result of the catcher’s there,” Altuve mentioned. “However you’ve one other three guys — first, second and third. I felt prefer it was form of apparent. That is why I used to be so mad.”
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Astros supervisor Joe Espada got here onto the sector, and the 4 umpires conferenced (that sort of name is just not topic to a video evaluation). Crew chief Alan Porter signaled the out name. Altuve then slammed his helmet and bat and was tossed. The 2017 AL MVP put one hand underneath every eye as if to say: did not you see it?
“The ball form of took a special course as soon as it hit the bottom, to Vientos,” Espada mentioned. “And [if] somebody was going to get out of the field, second and third, and beat a ball out at first base, it is Jose Altuve. So if he is arguing, that ball hit him. And it regarded just like the ball hit him to me.”
Altuve’s different ejection was on Aug. 6, 2016, when he was tossed in the course of the seventh inning of a 3-2 loss towards Texas for arguing after a referred to as third strike by Porter.
An eight-time All-Star, Altuve is batting .304 with 13 homers, 37 RBIs and 13 stolen bases.
He received doubled up at first base on a flyout within the fifth when he was operating on the pitch and fell for Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor and second baseman Jeff McNeil performing as if Alex Bregman had hit a grounder.
Houston opened the season 7-19 and was 12-24 earlier than play on Might 9.
“I by no means misplaced religion on this group,” Espada mentioned. “I do know that we have been down, however have been weren’t out, and I am not stunned that we’re the place we’re.”
Houston took two of three from the Mets and completed 17-8 in June. Jake Meyers hit a go-ahead single within the eleventh off Matt Festa, Joey Loperfido adopted with a two-run single and Trey Cabbage added a two-run double.
“It was a aim to get to .500 earlier than All-Star break,” Meyers mentioned. “It form of exhibits that we have been grinding via the season, ups and downs.”
