Astros vs. Rangers: Explaining unusual double play as Jose Altuve makes baserunning mistake in ALCS Game 1

The Texas Rangers defeated the Houston Astros 2-0 on Sunday night time in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series. The Rangers’ win didn’t come with out some late-inning controversy, on the other hand. The Astros had been down by way of two runs in the ground of the 8th when Jose Altuve led off the body with a stroll. 

Alex Bregman then attached on a deep fly ball to left box towards southpaw Aroldis Chapman. Bregman’s ball used to be stuck by way of Evan Carter at the caution monitor for the 1st out in the inning. That’s when issues became a little bit nutty.

Altuve, you can see, had taken an competitive method on Bregman’s batted ball. In reality, he had complex all of the solution to — and, as replay would display — a step past the second-base bag. By rule, Altuve had to retouch moment base on his as far back as the first-base bag in order to be deemed secure.

Unfortunately for the Astros, the Rangers appealed, and a replay overview validated that Altuve had no longer touched moment on his retreat. Thus, Altuve used to be dominated out as a part of an unusual double play at the foundation of Rule 5.06(b)(1). Here’s that rule, direct from Major League Baseball’s Official Rulebook: 

In advancing, a runner shall contact first, moment, 3rd and residential base in order. If compelled to go back, he shall retouch all bases in opposite order, until the ball is useless below any provision of Rule 5.06(c). In such instances, the runner might pass without delay to his authentic base.

Here’s some other have a look at the play:

“I thought the ball was over his head, didn’t think he was going to make the play he made,” Altuve said after the game. “And then you’re just trying to come back to first. That’s what I did.”

To be transparent: it used to be the correct name. It simply erased what gave the look to be a promising rally for the Astros. They went from apparently tying the sport on a Bregman house run (or, no less than, an extra-base hit) to having two outs and no one on with 4 outs to move in the competition. Those are the breaks infrequently.

Game 2 between the Rangers and the Astros will happen on Monday afternoon at Minute Maid Park, in Houston. First pitch is slated for simply after 4:30 p.m. ET and can see Nathan Eovaldi face Framber Valdez.