Why Is ALCS Game 1 Star Evan Carter Out Of Texas Rangers' Game 2 Lineup Vs. Astros?
HOUSTON – One of the heroes of Game 1 of the American League Championship Series is not in the Texas Rangers lineup for Monday afternoon’s Game 2 at Minute Maid Park.
Rookie outfielder Evan Carter, who scored the first run and made several outstanding defensive plays in Sunday’s 2-0 victory over the Houston Astros, will start the second game of the best-of-seven series on the bench.
Carter is a left-hander batter and Houston is starting lefty Framber Valdez. Texas manager Bruce Bochy has sat Carter previously in the playoffs against lefties.
Carter is 1-for-15 with nine strikeouts in his brief MLB career against left-handers.
Switch-hitter Robbie Grossman will start in left field in place of Carter.
Carter is likely to enter the game as soon as Valdez is pulled, according to Bochy.
Carter went 1-for-4 in Game 1, with a hustling double in the second inning that led to the Rangers scoring first. Jonah Heim's RBI single off Astros ace Justin Verlander scored Carter.
Carter, who is hitting .389 in the postseason, also made a number of highlight-reel catches in left, including a huge one in the eighth inning that doubled-up Jose Altuve with Aroldis Chapman on the mound.
“I had no idea if we were going to be able to double him up or not,” Carter said. “Once I caught it, I’m just going to get it in as quick as possible, you never know what’s going to happen, getting into the infielders and just letting them make some plays.”
The Rangers are starting Nathan Eovaldi looking for a 2-0 series lead before the ALCS shifts to Arlington on Wednesday.
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