Carlos Correa is taking control.
After reaching on a hit-by-pitch and being stranded in the first, the 21-year-old phenom came to bat in the bottom of the third and muscled a 96 m.p.h. inside fastball 410 feet over the fence to tie the game at two. It’s a ball no one should’ve been able to turn on let alone hit for power, but Correa isn’t just anyone.
Just now, in the bottom of the fifth, George Springer drew a two-out walk to bring up Correa. Correa lined a double to right field scoring Springer. And I gotta tell ya, Springer was flying. The Fox cameras had him rounding third, cut to the fielders putting together a relay, and then, as I prepared for the expected cut back to the plate, I expected to see Springer sliding. Nah. He was already safe, having scored standing. He may as well have been back in the dugout drinking a coffee and having a smoke for as fast as he as going. 3-2 Royals.
Just now, in the top of the sixth, Lance McCullers set the Royals down 1-2-3. I’m not an acolyte of the Church of Momentum, but it sure as hell feels like the Astros just took control and that the Royals just broke. Either way, the Astros are nine outs from advancing to the ALCS.