HOUSTON -- Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa has an affinity for big spots and the talent to create lasting memories. There’s some debate over whether he or Cleveland’s Francisco Lindor is the rightful recipient of the American League Rookie of the Year award. But scouts, reporters, opponents and smitten Houston fans seemingly agree that Correa’s future will be filled with All-Star Games and the type of "face of baseball" references that accompanied Derek Jeter throughout his career.
All that said, even baseball wunderkinds have to endure growing pains on the road to stardom -- in the form of personal and team setbacks that define them and make them stronger. Before a packed home crowd Monday, Correa and his Houston teammates had what could charitably be described as a "formative experience."
Correa spent most of the day crafting a compelling narrative before 42,387 would-be celebrants at Minute Maid Park. He went 4-for-4 at the plate, and became the youngest player in American League history to produce a multi-homer game in the postseason.
But his offensive haul was ultimately a footnote to a downer of a day for the Astros. Houston’s bullpen blew a four-run lead during an agonizing eighth inning, and a defensive miscue by Correa landed smack in the middle of the carnage. Kansas City came away with a stunning 9-6 victory, and the Astros are now challenged to win the climactic Game 5 of the series on hostile turf at Kauffman Stadium.
To his credit, Correa showed poise and accountability amid trying circumstances. When the door to the Houston clubhouse swung open, he was the first player waiting to greet a wave of cameras and reporters. Although his answers were clipped, he took full responsibility for his low point.
It came in that eighth inning, with the bases loaded and Houston clinging desperately to a 6-4 lead. A Kendrys Morales comebacker deflected off Houston reliever Tony Sipp’s glove and directly toward Correa. It looked like a sure double play -- until the ball ticked off Correa’s glove and caromed into the outfield for an error. Ben Zobrist and Lorenzo Cain both scored on the miscue, and the game was suddenly tied at 6-6.
Although Correa later conceded that the spin of the ball changed after it hit Sipp’s glove, he made no such disclaimer in his initial dissection of the play.
“I missed it,” Correa said. “It happens. I wish I was perfect, but I’m not. I’m human.”
Watch Correa hit, and the last part of that statement is debatable. He shows poise, maturity and a natural comfort level on the big stage. And no matter what time of year it is, his rake-ability factor is off the charts.
Correa joined Carlos Beltran of the 2004 Astros as the second Houston player to homer twice in a postseason game, adding an RBI double and a single for good measure. His fellow Astros might have gushed over his exploits if they hadn’t been neck-deep in commiserating with him.
“You’re not surprised at what he did" said outfielder Carlos Gomez, who contributed a solo homer in Game 4. “He’s a really good player at a young age. But right now we’re not thinking individually. We’re thinking about the group, the team, and we have to put this in the past. I didn’t do anything today, and he didn’t do anything today -- because we lost.”
The Astros come across as a focused and implacable group despite their relative lack of postseason exposure. After playing terribly on the road for much of the year, they posted a 4-2 record on a season-ending road trip to earn a wild-card berth. They eliminated the New York Yankees 3-0 in the one-game playoff and were six outs away from sending the defending AL champion Royals home for the winter.
But after Monday’s late pitching meltdown, you wonder how much faith Houston manager A.J. Hinch can have in his relief contingent come crunch time. The Royals sent 11 men to the plate in the eighth inning against Will Harris, Sipp and closer Luke Gregerson on the way to turning a 6-2 deficit into a 7-6 lead.
Harris, who has been such a pleasant surprise all season for the Astros, yielded four consecutive hits to start the eighth before Hinch gave him the hook. The right-hander sported a look of pained bewilderment in the clubhouse after the game.
“It’s never easy dealing with failure, especially at this level on this stage,” Harris said. “It’s tough to look these guys in the eyes. But I have a lot of good teammates and friends here who have my back. We’re a close group and we’ll get through it.”
The Astros’ team-oriented mindset extends all the way down to Correa, who has an appreciation for the game’s subtleties even though he exuded star quality as a teenage sensation in his native Puerto Rico and went No. 1 overall in the 2012 draft. When Astros outfielder George Springer led off an inning with a double Sunday, Correa thought nothing of hitting a ball to the right side to advance the runner. For all his wondrous gifts, he has plenty of ball rat in his DNA.
Correa’s feisty, competitive side came out in a quiet Houston clubhouse before the Astros boarded their charter flight to Kansas City.
“We have to focus on the next game,” he said. “We can’t beat ourselves up right now. You guys [reporters] are acting like we’re out of it, but we’re not out of it. We have to go out and try to win the next game, and everybody will forget about this game.”
While baseball observers gush about his long-term future, Carlos Correa is wise enough to realize that greatness is a day-to-day proposition. The Astros will either advance or go home Wednesday night in Kansas City. And he has every intention of showing up.