The Houston Astros are just one win away from a World Series title ahead of Game 6 on Saturday night at home, but they'll need to do it without Yuli Gurriel. The first basemen was taken off the roster after suffering a knee injury late in Game 5, with Trey Mancini coming into to replace him.
“As expected, Yuli Gurriel will be taken off the roster.”
While Rivera didn't say it, that means Mancini will start at first base. The former Baltimore Orioles slugger has been struggling immensely offensively in these playoffs but did make a game-saving play on Thursday:
OMG TREY MANCINI SAVES THE GAME!! PLAY OF HIS LIFE.
pic.twitter.com/FUp9pBktMr— MLB Metrics (@MLBMetrics) November 4, 2022
What a grab. The Astros were hoping Mancini would be a solid addition when they acquired him at the trade deadline, but he's failed to be the same player from his Baltimore days. Nevertheless, if anything, Mancini is an elite defender at first.
As for Gurriel, he was in tears when finding out that he'll be out for the remainder of the Fall Classic, said Dusty Baker.
“He wasn’t crying, but he had tears in his eyes. You could tell how badly he wanted to play. He just couldn’t do it and we had to replace him.”
Gurriel was hitting an impressive .347 in these playoffs for the Astros with two homers and four RBI. Definitely a loss. Although Mancini is hitless in 21 postseason plate appearances in 2022, one would have to believe he's due. There would be no better time for him to come up clutch than on Saturday.
Game 6 gets going at 5:03 PT, with Framber Valdez facing Zack Wheeler on the hill.
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