(SportsRadio 610) - Going into Sunday's Game 5 between Atlanta and Houston, Astros catcher Martín Maldonado was hitting .098 in the postseason and just 2-for-12 in the World Series.
It is well understood Maldonado's presence is primarily for defensive purposes, and his ability to help guide pitchers threw a game from behind the plate.
As SportsRadio 610 morning show Payne and Pendergast notes in its Astros Circle of Trust, Maldonado would need to somehow produce a negative batting average to not be in it.
Still, there was nervousness for Astros fans when he stepped to the plate in the fifth inning Sunday with two outs and the bases loaded. Atlanta had intentionally walked Alex Bregman to pitch to Maldonado, whose strategy was clearly to either draw a walk, or get hit by a pitch.
Maldonado, known as the team's worst hitter, took five pitches from Atlanta reliever A.J. Minter and walked on a fastball inside.
If it wasn't obvious enough, Astros star shortstop Carlos Correa made sure everyone took note of how Maldonado hovered over the plate in the fifth.
"Did you guys notice how close he was to the plate on the bat against Minter?" Correa asked reporters during the postgame press conference.
"You guys notice? That was sick."
"I wasn't going to swing to get a strike," Maldonado said after the game.
"It was pretty much try and be patient. I know he's got a good cutter. He's been amazing this year so far with that pitch. And you try to see him out for the most part."
Maldonado produced runs in three different ways against Atlanta to help send the series back to Houston. There was the sacrifice fly to score Kyle Tucker in the second inning, which cut Atlanta's lead to 4-2 after Adam Duvall's first-inning grand slam.
The walk in the fifth tied the game and allowed Marwin Gonzalez to add to his Astros World Series legend.
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In the seventh inning, Maldonado added an insurance run with an RBI-single.
"Yeah, it's like whatever way you bring a run, especially in the playoffs, is huge," Maldonado said. "You get good at-bats, whatever the situation dictates. You try to work through it. I was really hopeful to help the team win whatever way we can do it."