Yordan Álvarez stuns Seattle with walk-off home run, a breakdown
What Happened
The Astros trail the Mariners 7-5 in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 1 of the American League Division Series. Houston rookie infielder Jeremy Peña steps to the plate, trying to keep the Astros' hopes alive. He lays off a couple tough pitches from Mariners closer Paul Sewald, evening the count at 1-1. Mariners fans in the crowd are visibly anxious, knowing their team is just one out away from victory. Peña then fouls off a fastball, bringing the count to 0-2. Sewald tries to put him away with another nasty slider, but Peña fights it off and puts the ball in play. The hit brings up Astros superstar Yordan Álvarez, who the Mariners are desperate to retire to secure the win. Mariners left-hander Robbie Ray, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, is brought in to face Álvarez. The first two pitches from Ray are fastballs down the middle, which Álvarez swings through violently. "This guy's scary," says one concerned Mariners fan. On the next pitch, Álvarez unloads, launching a towering drive over the right field wall for a walk-off three-run home run. "Let's fucking go, bro!" Álvarez exclaims as he rounds the bases to the delight of his teammates. The Astros mob Álvarez at home plate, celebrating the dramatic comeback victory. Astros veteran Justin Verlander, who started the game but struggled, rushes out to embrace Álvarez, yelling "I fucking love you, you motherfucker!" Astros manager Dusty Baker claps enthusiastically, while one emotional Astros fan in the stands wipes away tears of joy. It's the first time in postseason history a team has won on a walk-off home run while trailing by multiple runs. The Astros' improbable comeback stuns the Mariners and their fans, who are left in disbelief as the Astros secure a thrilling Game 1 victory. Álvarez's heroics have propelled Houston to an early series lead, leaving the Mariners with work to do if they hope to advance.
Full Transcript
Click timestamps to jump to that momentGame one of the ALDS, and the Mariners are up 7-5 versus the Astros.
The rookie is up for the Astros, and this fan is sadly doing his rally towel.
This fan is praying and yawning.
This fan is just praying.
This one is brought to you by DraftKings.
Bregman stroking his invisible mustache.
The rookie up at the plate trying to keep things going.
Doesn't chase that slider low.
Doesn't swing at that fastball in the zone.
One-and-one count.
Doesn't chase the fastball out of the zone.
Swings at the fastball in the zone.
Seems like you put him in the zone, you may be all right,
but he's not going to give you any help.
They go inside.
This Mariners fan's already distraught.
There's two outs to go, and they win, and she's like,
I don't sense this isn't good.
And then he hits him there.
Would have been ball four anyway.
Now a Mariners fan, she's like, oh, no.
This guy's got a shoe on his head.
Ooh.
Altuve's up.
He's a guy that's scary.
He plays.
Pretty good baseball.
Hits that one.
Foul.
Oh-and-one.
Fastball down the middle.
Swings hard.
Slider away.
Doesn't chase.
She can't watch.
They're one strike away.
They're one strike away from getting the second out.
Oh, and they get it.
Surely she's happy now.
Seawald.
He's one out away from winning the game.
She can't look.
One out away from winning the game.
She's sick.
Now the rookie, Peña's up.
He looked bad this whole game swinging at breaking balls.
That's called a strike.
How?
Ooh.
He's like, eh, I don't know.
I don't know.
The oh-and-one swings.
Now that pitch he'd been chasing all game.
He was an 0-for-4 before this.
This kid's crying.
This kid's crying because he thinks they're about to lose.
And he really wanted them to win.
That was the whole reason he went to the game.
He wanted to see a win, not a loss.
So you can understand his pain.
Oh-two pitch.
Doesn't chase it.
And then puts that one in play.
That's a nice piece of hitting.
Because I think that's a nice pitch.
This kid now.
Let's go.
He's crying.
Crying.
Ah.
Yeah.
Let's go.
Let's watch that pitch again.
I think this is exactly where he wants that pitch to be.
It's got the break.
It's going to break right into the corner.
If that's called strike three to end the game and he doesn't chase it
or he swings and misses, I think we're all saying that's a pretty good pitch.
I think you credit the hitting by Pena here and the rookie ahead of him
for getting the walk.
Because what they do, let's go, is they get the bat to the big bad guy.
So the Mariners.
Seawald, you're out.
They bring in Robbie Ray, who's a starting pitcher.
Won the Cy Young last year.
Doesn't come out of the bullpen.
Not really primed for this position.
But Jordan Alvarez is up and he is scary.
Standing there just saying, don't care who's pitching to me.
I'll probably just win the game for my team.
But get your warm-ups in.
Air your Don.
They're excited.
That guy's praying a lot of prayers.
First pitch, fastball in the middle.
Big old swing and she is worried.
The next pitch, same pitch, big old swing.
This time he absolutely smokes it into the upper deck.
It's the second or it's the first walk-off ever
where the team was down multiple runs when the walk-off was hit.
So it's always been a two-run shot, down one.
What did he say there?
Because I don't know if he speaks great English,
but it looks a lot like he says, you know,
let's fucking go, bro.
It's probably not that.
Oh, the Astros are excited.
A great missed high five there.
Four hands, no connection.
And then I like the water dousing.
Is that Garcia?
Before he even gets the first base.
Usually you save that for the trip home.
But no, you're going to be wet round in those bases, buddy.
How about it?
The bullpen's going wild.
I fucking told you.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I called it.
Of course I did.
Who did it?
No.
Look at this reaction from service.
Yeah.
Nope.
Nope.
Okay.
Yeah.
I think I'll just leave my time to get out of here.
Helmet.
You're gone.
Celebration.
You're on.
Not that much water.
Just a little bit of water.
Oh, Verlander.
Now he had started the game.
Didn't pitch well at all.
He comes in.
He's like, you're done.
You're done.
I fucking love you.
You motherfucker.
Dusty's got his gloves.
He's clapping.
He's got a plan.
This kid, the tears are gone.
The tears are gone forever.
He's great.
Guy on the left.
I don't know.
Guy on the left.
With Dahmer coming out, being all big on Netflix now.
I don't think you can do that.
That combo.
Mustache and glasses.
I just think it's a little faux pas right now.
Water.
They get him.
Bregman and him a good boop.
High five.
Upwards.
I love it.
And then this fan.
Fuck that fucking guy.
They think he's so fucking.
I don't know the last word.
I don't know the last word.
And that's why it took me a while to get this breakdown out because I was trying and trying
and trying.
I asked people around the office if you guys can figure it out.
It bothered me so much because the rest of it is so easy.
Fuck that fucking guy.
They think he's so fucking.
Looks like it starts with an R and it's two syllables.
I don't know.
What is it?
What she's saying?
What do they think he is?
Is it Robbie Ray or is it Alvarez?
Either way, this breakdown was brought to you by DraftKings.
I appreciate it.
I appreciate our friends over at DraftKings.
And if you're the Mariners or whoever plays the Astros next, if the Astros win, get the
guys in front of your Don out because he's incredible.