Yankees: Stop trying to make us feel bad about Jose Altuve and the Astros

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 13: Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros reacts to a throwing error during the sixth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game Three of the American League Championship Series at PETCO Park on October 13, 2020 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 13: Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros reacts to a throwing error during the sixth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game Three of the American League Championship Series at PETCO Park on October 13, 2020 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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Jose Altuve made another error and Yankees fans are supposed to feel bad? Nope.

Jose Altuve has cost the Houston Astros a ton of runs in Games 2 and 3 of the ALCS thanks to two errors that have characterized his putrid defensive play throughout the 2020 season.

First, in Game 2, he lobbed a one-hopper from the outfield on a Ji-Man Choi grounder and first baseman Yuli Gurriel couldn’t haul it in. That would have ended the first inning. Instead, Manuel Margot cranked a three-run homer in the next at-bat. That made it 3-0 Tampa Bay and the Rays never looked back.

Then, in Game 3 on Tuesday night, with the Astros leading 1-0, Altuve threw a double-play ball into left field that put runners on first and second with no outs in the sixth inning. What happened after that? Five straight Rays runs. The final score? 5-2. Do we feel bad? Absolutely not. So stop trying to make us.

Ah, yes, classic Buster Olney playing the contrarian. He’s always doing something anti-Yankees even if it isn’t direct or intentional. But we don’t want to hear it. Altuve was among the main figures in the Astros’ cheating scandal that helped him win an MVP and the team win a World Series in 2017. They screwed the Yankees. They screwed Aaron Judge. They screwed the Dodgers. They screwed the Red Sox (eh, we don’t care about that as much). And for all we know the sign stealing continued for the next two years!

And we’re supposed to feel bad for the guy who stood up in front of the media and offered one of the most inauthentic apologies you’ll ever see? He had his teammates, like Carlos Correa, handle his dirty work and trash-talk other players across the league who were calling him out.

On what planet are we supposed to exercise empathy, especially during a season in which the Astros escaped the hate tour with no fans in the stands and managed to sneak into the playoffs with a 29-31 record?

Oh man, the Astros are finally not catching a break. The Rays’ defense seems to be in the all right spots. They’re getting robbed of hits. They’re leaving runners on base. They’re making untimely errors. Wow! Now you know what it’s like to be a Yankees fan! Congrats!

Maybe next time you won’t talk trash to the world after beating two of the most inept playoff teams in modern history. Don’t call out your haters before you reach your ultimate goal. Good luck digging out of this 0-3 hole. You won’t see any sympathy from us when you’re officially sent back to the couch.