MLB Postseason 2022 | Yordan hits another clutch homer to give Houston 2-0 ALDS lead, Cortés today

Daily Major League Baseball (MLB) Cuban Players News for the 2022 Postseason. A compendium from several MLB sources.

Yordan Álvarez. (Photo: Astros de Houston Twitter)

Oct 13, 2022

Yordan Álvarez hit a two-run homer on Thursday to help the Astros to a 4-2 win Thursday over the Mariners in Game 2 of the ALDS.

The Houston Astros defeated the Seattle Mariners 4-2 on Thursday in Game 2 of the American League Division Series. The best-of-five series now sees Houston lead 2-0. Houston's Yordan Álvarez, the hero of Game 1, once again served as the late-inning hero for the Astros, hitting a two-run, go-ahead home-run in the bottom of the sixth to swing the score from 2-1 in favor of the Mariners to 3-2 in favor of the Astros.

Take a look:

A special offensive player. Álvarez also drew a walk in the contest, but the big blow was a homer that was off the plate into left field that gave the Astros a 2-0 lead. That's the second homer of the series for Álvarez, and he's the first player since Troy Glaus to hit go-ahead homers in the sixth inning or later in the postseason in back-to-back games since Troy Glaus in 2002. He now has Houston one game away from advancing to the ALCS.

Thursday's scheduled ALDS Game 2 between the Guardians and Yankees was postponed due to sustained inclement weather.

The nighttime forecast in the Bronx looked rough, with no realistic window that allowed Game 2 to be played without stoppages. Game 2 is now scheduled for Friday at 1:07 p.m. ET, and there will be four games in four days if this best-of-five series goes the distance. Nestor Cortés had been slated to face off against Shane Bieber at Yankee Stadium. This were Cortés words on Wednesday when he was announced as the starter:

"That would be an honor to do so," Cortes said. "... To get that second-game win is going to be huge for us. We are going to have the series on a chokehold like everybody says, and it gives us a better opportunity to advance. For me to have that opportunity and to go out there and to give the best chance that I can give to the team for a W is going to be amazing."

Cortes, making his 2022 postseason debut, went 12-4 with a 2.44 ERA in 28 starts while pitching a career-high 158 1/3 innings and getting 163 strikeouts. He ended the season by going 3-0 with a 1.32 ERA over his final five starts -- allowing only two hits over 13 1/3 scoreless frames in his last two.

Aledmys Díaz was at DH and batted seventh for the Astros in Game 2 of the ALDS on Thursday versus the Mariners.

Trey Mancini was the DH in Game 1 on Tuesday, but he was benched in Game 2 with the Mariners throwing ace right-hander Luis Castillo. Díaz went 1-for-3 with a double in a 4-2 victory for the Asstros. He will likely be in the lineup for Game 3 of the series on Saturday in Seattle.