New York Yankees third baseman Gio Urshela has no problem calling out Jose Altuve and his ALCS walk-off home run.
DJ LeMahieu’s heroics lifted an entire borough in the top of the ninth inning. Maybe, just maybe, the New York Yankees had the magic required to overcome a 3-2 series deficit in Houston.
But then, entirely too quickly, Jose Altuve put an end to such thoughts. His series-clinching, walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth sent the Bombers home and the Houston Astros to the 2019 World Series.
Obviously, much has developed since that fateful moonshot. The Stros cheating scandal has been broken wide open and careers have been tarnished.
Some Yanks have remained relatively quiet, while others haven’t. The latest falling in the latter category is third baseman Gio Urshela, who had no problem calling out Altuve’s memorable home run.
When asked if Altuve knew which pitch was coming from closer Aroldis Chapman, Urshela responded, “Probably,” on The Michael Kay Show, ESPN Radio New York.
“Probably,” Urshela answered Kay. “It felt like confidence in that at-bat against the best closer in the game, and probably he (Altuve) knew what was coming.”
Urshela, 28, enjoyed a career year with the Bombers in 2019. Thanks to the club’s Next Man Up mantra, the slick-fielding third baseman filled in for Miguel Andujar when he bowed out via injury early in the season.
He finished with 21 home runs and 74 runs knocked in while hitting a cool .314 over 132 games a year ago. At the moment, he looks to be penciled in as the starting third baseman (with Andujar shagging balls in the outfield, perhaps ready to serve as a hitting-first utility man to start the season).
Jose Altuve now enters the 2020 season with a new manager, while Gio Urshela looks to build off a career-defining season.