Yordan Alvarez Smashes Two Home Runs, Securing Victory for Astros in Game 1 ALDS

HOUSTON — Yordan Alvarez made a powerful statement in the American League Division Series opener against the Twins. When he smashed a two-run homer in the third inning, his bat flip was so epic that it could have been visible from space.

But Alvarez wasn’t done. In the seventh inning, he launched another homer that may have sent his bat into orbit.

With these two home runs, Alvarez recorded his first multihomer game in the postseason, leading the Astros to a 6-4 victory over the Twins in Game 1 of the ALDS. The sellout crowd of 43,024 at Minute Maid Park witnessed Alvarez’s dominance.

While Jose Altuve set the tone with a leadoff homer, it was Alvarez who stole the show and proved why he’s one of the most dangerous sluggers in baseball.

“[Alvarez is] one of the best left-handed hitters I’ve played with, and one of the best hitters I’ve played with,” said Justin Verlander, the winning pitcher who tossed six scoreless innings. “It’s not surprising to see what he’s capable of in these moments.”

Opposing pitchers have a tough challenge when facing Alvarez. It doesn’t matter which side of the mound they attack him from.

Alvarez’s first home run came off Twins right-hander Bailey Ober. In his first at-bat, Ober struck out Alvarez with an elevated four-seamer. But in the third inning, Ober made a mistake and Alvarez punished him with a deep shot to right field.

Later in the game, with the Astros clinging to a one-run lead, Alvarez faced left-hander Caleb Thielbar. Despite Thielbar’s impressive season against left-handed hitters, Alvarez didn’t give him a chance. He crushed a pitch down and away, sending it into the right-field foul pole and celebrating with a triumphant bat spike.

“When I step up to the plate, I try not to think about the situation or the noise,” Alvarez said. “I just tell myself that I’m the only one who can get the job done in that moment.”

In the regular season, Alvarez had success against both righties and lefties, although his slugging percentage was higher against right-handed pitchers.

“You’d still probably rather bring in your good lefties and give them a chance to get him out,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “But he just showed that he can hit off-speed pitches and find the barrel. He’s strong, and he doesn’t need to hit the ball perfectly to hit it out of the park.”

The Astros and Twins had contrasting postseason histories coming into the ALDS. Houston has been to the ALCS for six consecutive years, while the Twins had just won their first postseason game in nearly two decades. Houston’s veteran players believe their experience gives them an advantage.

In Game 1, experience proved valuable, starting with the longest tenured Astro.

Altuve wasted no time making an impact. He crushed a first-pitch fastball for a leadoff homer, igniting the crowd and setting the stage for Houston’s victory. Altuve now has 24 postseason home runs, trailing only Manny Ramirez.

After struggling in the previous playoffs, Altuve needed just one pitch to turn his fortunes around in the 2023 postseason.

“That really got the fans into it right away,” manager Dusty Baker said. “There was so much energy in the building, and after that homer, things caught fire quickly.”