Manuel Margot flipped the script in Game 2 of the ALCS between the Rays and Astros. With two outs in the first inning, the Astros had what should’ve been an easy out on a grounder to second. But Ji-Man Choi jogged down the line, and Yuli Gurriel made a sloppy play at first. He barely reached for the ball and lifted his foot off the bag, turning a routine out into a big mistake. That kept the inning alive, and Margot made Houston pay. He crushed a pitch to dead center, a 400-foot shot that gave the Rays a three-run lead and left Springer watching it fly.
The Astros tried to punch back quickly, getting two on in the next inning. But Margot wasn’t done. Chasing a foul ball near the wall in right, he ran full speed with the sun in his eyes and didn’t look up for the fence. He caught the ball right as his knees slammed into the wall and flipped over into the bullpen area. The play ended the inning and shut down a potential Astros rally. Margot gave the Rays all three of their early runs and took one right back from Houston. The Rays’ defense has been smothering all series, and Margot’s diving catch was the perfect example of how they’ve frustrated the Astros at every turn.