Jose Altuve silenced the fans with a loud home run.
The Astros and Yankees are finishing up a three-game set in the Bronx, the first time Houston has been in New York in front of fans since news broke of their cheating scandal during their World Series winning season in 2017.
Yankee fans are, understandably, still more than a bit salty about the Astros upending them in the 2017 ALCS (especially if there was foul play afoot), and have greeted Astros hitters with NSFW chants during the Series.
Yankees fans celebrated José Altuve turning 31 years old today with LOUD chants of “F—k your birthday” 😂🔊 pic.twitter.com/TzMHqei5Df
— BroBible (@BroBible) May 6, 2021
On Thursday, Altuve was once again greeted in the batter's box with certain choice chants: "F— Altuve," "Cheater" and "F— your birthday" among them, the last one exceptionally cruel. Down 3-2 in the top of the eighth, Altuve silenced the chants with a crack of the bat, sending a Chad Green fastball over the left-center wall to put Houston up 5-3.
ALTUVE!!! Has just given the @astros the lead!!
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 6, 2021
(via @mlb)pic.twitter.com/GcqEPVpQZI
Altuve didn't just hit a ball out, he went up to get it, and set a personal best: The long ball is the highest pitch he's hit out in his MLB career.
José Altuve really went up and got this 96.3 mph fastball. It's the highest pitch he's homered against in his career. pic.twitter.com/GHTwYVJrj8
— Andrew Simon (@AndrewSimonMLB) May 6, 2021
Altuve, a member of the 2017 Astros team that won the World Series, sent the Yankees packing in the 2019 ALCS with a walk-off home run against Aroldis Chapman, so there's not much love lost between Altuve and the Astros and the Yankee faithful.
Houston would go on to win the game 7-4, but lose the series 2-1.
Not a bad birthday present, though.
