The Astros jumped on Rays pitcher Tyler Glasnow early because they spotted something others missed. Glasnow was tipping his pitches by how he positioned his glove before each delivery. When his glove was above the letters on his chest, it was a fastball. When it sat lower, it was a curveball. Houston hitters picked up on it fast. In the first inning, George Springer saw the glove high and attacked a fastball. José Altuve waited on a curve when he saw the glove low, then crushed the next pitch when he saw it back up high. Bregman also showed he knew what was coming, laying off a curve, swinging at a fastball, then getting another curve and smoking it to right-center.
The tell wasn’t perfect on every pitch, but the pattern showed up just enough to give Houston a clear edge. Alvarez and Gurriel each saw the glove drop and responded by sitting on breaking balls. Bregman even told Carlos Correa between at-bats how to read the glove height. Glasnow admitted after the game he had been tipping, and it showed. The Astros scored four runs in the first, all while reacting to the clues in his glove placement. It wasn’t about stealing signs or advanced video scouting. It was just sharp eyes and good communication in the dugout. In games like this, a small edge turns into big damage fast.