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On Friday night, Jose Altuve has heard it all at Yankee Stadium, and he responded in the best way possible — by launching the first pitch he saw from Cam Schlittler over the fence for a two-run homer. The jeers were expected, but Carlos Correa made it clear afterward: if you’re a fan, you might want to think twice about trying to rattle the Astros' longtime second baseman.
“If I’m a fan, I would try to make it feel like a spring training game,” Correa said with a grin, hinting that the boos may only fuel Altuve’s performance.
Correa did plenty of damage himself in Houston’s 5-3, 10-inning win over the Yankees. In the top of the 10th, with the score tied and Altuve as the automatic runner at second, New York’s struggling reliever Devin Williams sailed a first-pitch fastball to the backstop, moving Altuve to third. That was all Correa needed to lock in on what was coming next.
“After he yanked the fastball, I knew he was gonna go back to [the changeup],” Correa said. “If he’s gonna get beat, he’s gonna get beat with his best pitch, and that’s the changeup.”
Williams indeed threw three straight changeups. Correa missed the second one to fall behind 1-2, then adjusted his swing to stay through the zone. The next changeup came in low, and Correa lined it up the middle for the go-ahead RBI single.
Astros come back to beat the Yankees
“He threw me a really good one, 1-1,” Correa said. “Then I had to adjust and extend through the zone to get it elevated, and that’s what I did.”
Taylor Trammell followed later in the inning by crushing another Williams changeup into the seats for a two-run homer, sealing the victory. Trammell credited Correa for setting an example at the plate.
“Since he’s gotten here, the at-bats have been just amazing,” Trammell said. “When you see a guy who’s leading the team doing it, it instills a lot of confidence.”
Correa’s return to Houston at the trade deadline was about more than replacing a bat in the middle of the order. Manager Joe Espada and GM Dana Brown both spoke about the leadership and championship mentality Correa brings back to the clubhouse. Altuve called him “our leader” upon his arrival, and the Astros have slotted him right into the cleanup spot.
In his second stint with Houston, Correa has reached base in four of five plate appearances Friday and is now 11-for-29 with four walks over his last seven games. Altuve praised both his offensive production and defensive excellence, calling the trade “a great job” by the front office.
The win over New York was a full-team effort. Bennett Sousa delivered 1 2/3 innings of key relief, Hader closed out the final two frames, and Altuve set the tone early despite the chorus of boos. Correa’s message afterward was simple: Yankee Stadium’s hostility might not have the effect fans think — at least not on Altuve. “It’s awesome,” Correa said. “The rivalry’s great. It’s always good baseball games when we come here… it’s always a good time.”
