Yordan Alvarez's Heroics Shine As Aroldis Chapman Falters In ALCS Game 2

Photo: Instagram/Aroldis Chapman

Aroldis Chapman found himself in the midst of controversy, drawing the ire of fans when he allowed a pivotal home run to Yordan Alvarez during the late stages of ALCS Game 2.

It was a thrilling Cuban showdown as Yordan Alvarez faced off against Rangers reliever Aroldis Chapman in the eighth inning. While the Rangers had initially taken the lead, the Astros mounted a comeback to narrow the score to 5-3.

In a pivotal moment, Yordan Alvarez, who had already showcased his power with six postseason homers, took the stage for his third at-bat. On the first pitch, Alvarez launched a high and deep shot to left, pulling the Astros within one run at 5-4.

Photo/ Instagram/Yordan Alvarez

Alvarez's remarkable postseason performance continued, with a slashline of .391/.440/.1.261 and an OPS over 1.700, along with his six homers in just five games, carrying the Astros. In stark contrast, Aroldis Chapman's star seemed to be waning.

Once renowned for his record-breaking fastball, the 35-year-old had recently been traded from the Kansas City Royals to the Rangers. The reactions to Alvarez's moonshot were scathing, casting doubt on Chapman's current form.

Despite an injury sidelining him for part of the season, Yordan Alvarez managed to compete in 114 games for the Astros in 2023, amassing impressive statistics with a .293 batting average, 31 home runs, and 97 RBIs. With the Astros trailing 5-4 in the ninth inning, fans were pinning their hopes on Yordan Alvarez to help level the series against the Texas Rangers.


Yordan Alvarez had proven himself as a force to be reckoned with in October baseball. Over his career, he boasted a postseason slashline of .261/.366/.511, with 12 home runs and 34 RBIs.

Since joining the Astros in 2019 after leaving Cuba, Alvarez had been a fixture in postseason baseball, with his twelfth playoff homer catapulting him to the top of the all-time leaderboard for playoff home runs by a Cuban-born player. If the Astros could stage a comeback and even the series, Alvarez might secure his place in Astros lore for all time.

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Source: Sports Keeda

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