Once again, Jose Altuve got the last laugh on the Yankees.
The Houston Astros second baseman, who was subjected to some trolling from Yankees players this weekend, silenced everyone by capping a six-run ninth inning with a walk-off three run home run to give the Astros an 8-7 win over the Yankees and avoid a sweep.
Oh, and for anyone wondering if Altuve was wearing a buzzer, he was not.
The All-Star was greeted by his teammates at home plate as they ripped his shirt off — something he refused to let them do the last time he walked off against the Yankees, which elicited conspiracy theories about possibly using buzzers to know which pitches were coming.
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Altuve has caught the brunt of animosity from Yankees fans and players, such as Aaron Judge, who was seen mocking Altuve for refusing to let his shirt get ripped off as they rounded the bases following home runs hit this weekend.
Gary Sanchez copied Judge’s troll job when he hit a three-run home run in the eighth to give the Yankees a 7-2 lead.
Martin Maldonado responded for the Astros earlier on Sunday when he pulled his collar down to reveal no buzzer on his chest following a home run.
Naturally, Maldonado was one of the first at home plate to tear Altuve’s shirt off.
The Yankees were coming off a 129-pitch shutout performance from Gerrit Cole on Saturday night and appeared poised for the sweep. But the Astros opened the ninth inning with five straight hits, including three straight doubles, to set up runners on the corner and one out for Altuve.
Altuve lifted the curveball up and over the left field wall to ensure the victory, reminiscent of his 2019 ALCS walk-off home run off Aroldis Chapman.
The Yankees and Astros do not meet again this season unless the two were to play each other in the playoffs, which would certainly not be void of any drama.
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