Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez had the flu prior to Game 1, which evidently put him in a poor spot against Jordan Montgomery. Monty struck Alvarez out three times, all on his curveball. Alvarez had no excuses postgame, saying that Montgomery's pitch was tough to hit.
"When it comes out of his hand, it looks like a fastball," Álvarez said, perJeff Passan of ESPN. "That makes it a little more difficult. The way he releases the ball, the angle he releases it, makes it a little bit more difficult to pick it up and makes it look like a fastball."
Sure thing, that's baseball. It's tough to expect Alvarez to be downright perfect. However, it was also made public on Monday that Alvarez was dealing with the flu and migraines. Was this a convenient excuse after an off night, or something the Astros should be concerned about?
Should the Astros be concerned about Yordan Alvarez?
Houston should be concerned about Alvarez's production, especially since they slot him in the middle of their lineup. Texas is a force to be reckoned with, and the remainder of the series is no easy task with the Rangers already out on the front foot.
However, evidently Alvarez is not the only Houston player dealing with a dip in production.
Baker's answer as to the virus didn't make a lot of sense, of course, but it's worth noting that he admitted several members of the Astros club are sick. Alvarez struggled to deal with his illness in Game 1, and it showed. Texas took an early lead and never looked back.
In Game 2, the Rangers also took an early lead, and it will be up to Houston to even the score. If not, Texas will head back to Arlington with a 2-0 lead, and a team in complete disarray thanks to an illness.
