4 Astros most to blame for knee-capping ALCS Game 2 loss to Rangers

With the way that the Houston Astros both finished the regular season and then ran through the Minnesota Twins in the ALDS, it seemed like the club might be steamrolling its way to back-to-back World Series victories. The rival Texas Rangers, however, have now showed the other plans for the ALCS, and it's been bad news for the reigning champion Astros.

After getting blanked at home in Game 1 with a gem from Jordan Montgomery, Game 2 on Monday was a must-win game for the Astros. Unfortunately, they started it by giving up four runs in the first inning. Though Yordan Alvarez tried his best with his fifth and sixth homers of the postseason (in only six games!), that hole was too great to climb out of. Houston lost, 5-4, and now has completely conceded home-field advantage by falling into an 0-2 hole with the ALCS now going to Arlington.

This was the biggest moment to date of the 2023 postseason for the Astros, and they failed to get it done. Someone has to be blamed for such a disheartening and back-breaking loss like the one in Game 2, and we know exactly where to point fingers.

4. Martin Maldonado gave the Astros next-to-nothing in Game 2

Look, we know why Martin Maldonado is in the Astros lineup -- and it's most certainly not his bat. He's the trusted catcher for the majority of Houston's pitching staff. Perhaps more importantly, he's the defensive catcher that Dusty Baker trusts the most behind the dish. So it's not shocking that he was the starter for Game 2.

Having said that, starting Maldonado looks particularly bad in situations like what we saw unfold at Minute Maid Park on Monday.

For one, his game-calling and defense were ineffective. This isn't putting a poor start from Framber Valdez on the catcher more than the pitcher -- far from it. However, the reason that he's in the lineup at all turned out to not be anything that mattered in a must-win contest.

Beyond that, though, Maldonado proved to be exactly the player that everyone expects him to be at the plate, striking out in his one plate appearance. The most damning aspect of this, however, is that, once Valdez was pulled midway through the third inning, Baker quickly pulled the plug on Maldonado to get Yainer Diaz up to bat in the bottom of the third because the Astros needed offense, which the veteran backstop was almost surely not going to provide.

Smart money is that Maldonado's role as the starting catcher isn't changing for all of the reasons mentioned above. But it's becoming more and more difficult to justify him being in the lineup when even the manager knows he can't be trusted at the plate.