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Jeremy Pena delivered the knockout blow to the Seattle Mariners in last Saturday’s marathon 18-inning game. The hits have kept coming for Pena, and his bat is a huge reason why the Houston Astros are now just two wins away from a fourth American League pennant since 2017.
The rookie shortstop has recorded a hit in every game this postseason, including the game-winning home run against the Mariners in the close-out game of the American League Divisional Series. He’s batting .333 this postseason, and that includes his 1-for-8 day (.125 average) at the plate last Saturday. He put the bow on the Astros’ Game 1 victory over the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series.
Pena’s performance has alleviated the pressure that would be on Jose Altuve after his sup-optimal start to the postseason. He’s doing his best Russell Westbrook impersonation, going 0-for-23. With a dominant pitching staff, the Astros haven’t needed the offense to do much. Per Stat Muse, the Astros have a 1.83 ERA. Pena’s helped make sure the team’s quality pitching hasn’t been for naught.
It’s also buoyed the Astros’ chances of bringing manager Dusty Baker his first World Series title after a legendary career. He ranks ninth all-time in career wins, and of the 10 winningest managers in MLB history, his winning percentage (.539) ranks sixth.
The Astros (106) won more games than any other team Baker has managed. Six wins away from a title, they are close to achieving another first for Baker. Pena’s blistering five-game stretch might serve as the blueprint for Houston’s championship goals.
For a rookie, that seems like a lot to ask. Teammate Alex Bregman knows this stage isn’t too big for Pena and his success is more than deserved.
Speaking about his young teammate, Bregman said, per Fox Sports’ Deesha Thosar, “He loves this game. He loves competing. He deserves to be having this success because of the kind of hard worker that he is.”
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