Houston Astros rookie Jeremy Pena he will return to the team as the Most Valuable Player of the American League Championship Series.
Although he likely won’t win Rookie of the Year, the shortstop already marked his career with a four-game sweep of Houston over the Yankees with a third home run of the postseason in the third inning of a 6-5 win. in Game 4 at Yankee Stadium on Sunday.
Success wiped out the Yankees’ early lead and blew out the 46,545-ticket crowd that served as the notorious turning point in the final game of a series that never seemed to come really close.
“It’s surreal. You dream of these things when you’re a kid and give your teammates a shout out. We show up every day. We stayed true to ourselves all year. We are one step away from the final goal,” said Peña, who at 25 years old seems motivated to carve out his own name.
the world series
Peña finished the American League Championship Series with 6 hits in 17 at-bats with two home runs and two doublesgood for a slash line with a 353 batting average, 353 OBP and 824 slugging percentage (1,176 OPS).
The end had the shortstop hitting a slider down the middle from Nestor Cortes after the Yankees lefty opened the inning by walking Martin Maldonado and Jose Altuve with a massive blast down the left field line.
Statcast measured the home run at a projected 408 feet and 104.8 mph From the beginning.
Pena tied the game at 3 after the Yankees took a lead against Lance McCullers Jr. the first time Houston trailed New York late in an inning in the game in 11 games this season.
Cortes, who came out immediately after the home run with a left groin injury, didn’t throw a fastball to Pena but tried to jam cutters and sliders inside with a changeup off the plate.
On the fifth pitch of the at-bat, Peña came out with speed and went ahead 3-1 in the batter’s count.
Likewise, transferring the cannon to his right hand as he left the batter’s box and watching the ball fly before spinning the wood down the first base line and taking a stride.
Another moment that illustrates how well Houston has thrived with Peña batting behind leadoff hitter Altuve was when he batted at the No. 2 hole during the regular season and the Astros finished 42-7 and entered this postseason undefeated on Sunday with regret batting at that spot in every game.
“Jeremy has done a lot of good things. If I start talking about him, we could be here for two hours. He is a great player and I love the way he handles everything,” Altuve said.
More from Pena
Aside from Sunday, Pena also put the Astros squarely on his shoulders with a solo shot in the 18th inning of their marathon ALDS Game 3 victory in Seattle, the only run in what has easily been the tensest game in history. Houston in these playoffs.
Peña’s 22 home runs in the regular season were tied for sixth among shortstops and second among freshmen Behind only Seattle’s Julio Rodriguez, who will likely be the winner of the American League Rookie of the Year Award.
