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

2. Jose Altuve was anything but clutch for the Astros in Game 2

Over the years and multiple World Series wins, we've grown accustomed to Jose Altuve being a king of clutch. Whether it's been leadoff bombs, coming up with hits in big moments, or any other various iterations of that, Altuve has delivered more often than not in the postseason. In Game 2, though, we saw him not when the Astros could've used such a hit from their diminutive second baseman.

Altuve finished the game going 0-for-5 with two strikeouts in this game, including a game-ending fly-out in the bottom of the ninth. Yes, it was a tough pitching matchup, but to have the leadoff hitter failing to get on base, especially when the expectation has long been for him to be a tone-setter and clutch player, is an awful sign for the offense.

Perhaps the most indicative at-bat of Altuve's bad night at the dish, though, was the strikeout in the bottom of the fifth inning against Eovaldi. The second baseman came up with the bases loaded and only one out while the Astros had cut the lead to 5-2. A hit or even a fly ball deep enough for a sac fly could've been monstrously important for Houston. Instead, Altuve struck out swinging on four pitches, which ended up leading to the Astros ultimately squandering an ideal run-scoring opportunity.

Particularly in contrast to someone like Yordan Alvarez and the way he's currently hitting for Houston, it stands out to see Altuve not deliver the goods when his team needed him most. If the Astros are going to have any chance of climbing out of the 0-2 ALCS hole, Altuve is going to have to get right at the plate with a quickness.