Jose Altuve inspired perhaps the loudest ovation of the afternoon Sunday at Citi Field, but it’s not how he planned to get the crowd on its feet.
The Astros star was ejected for arguing a call in the top of the seventh, when Altuve believed he had fouled a pitch off his foot and the umpiring crew saw it differently.
With runners on second and third and two outs in a game the Astros were leading, 4-2, Altuve made contact with a pitch that appeared to graze the bottom of his left foot and ground softly toward third base.
Altuve remained in the batter’s box, hopping around in apparent pain, as Mark Vientos fielded and fired to first base for the frame-ending out.
Altuve was incensed and argued with home-plate umpire James Jean, slamming his helmet and bat on the dirt before he was tossed from the game.
Mets fans loudly cheered a baseball villain everywhere except Houston.
It was an all-around rough game for Altuve, who lost track of the number of outs in the fifth inning and was doubled off first base on a routine fly out.
