No doubter: Altuve wins MVP after walk-off blast
Jose Altuve takes Aroldis Chapman deep for a walk-off, series-clinching home run to propel the Astros to the World Series. (0:55)
Jose Altuve‘s walk-off home run sent the Houston Astros to the World Series on Saturday night and clinched the AL Championship Series MVP for the veteran second baseman.
Altuve’s two-run shot to left-center field with two outs in the ninth inning off New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman gave the Astros a 6-4 Game 6 win in Houston. Minutes later, Altuve was handed his first ALCS MVP award, a no-doubter given his ninth-inning theatrics.
“The only thing I remember is just thanking God for the opportunity to go to another World Series,” Altuve, who called his teammates “the MVPs” of the game, said of his thoughts while running around the bases.
Altuve had a big series with the bat in general. He had a solo home run in the top of the first inning of Game 3, propelling the Astros to a 4-1 win as the series shifted to New York. He finished the series hitting .348 (8-for-23) with six runs scored and three RBIs.
But no hit was bigger than Saturday night’s. The walk-off home run was the fifth to win a league championship series, following Travis Ishikawa’s in 2014, Magglio Ordonez’s in 2006, Aaron Boone’s in 2003 and Chris Chambliss’ in 1976.
“I get asked to describe Jose Altuve all the time,” manager AJ Hinch said of the team’s 5-foot-6 spark plug. “I think MVP is what he is.”