HOUSTON – A selfie-seeking fan ran onto the Minute Maid Park field moments before the top of the ninth inning during Game 2 of the American League Championship Series, spending several moments with All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve before he was accosted by security personnel.
With closer Ryan Pressly poised to record the final three outs of an eventual 3-2 victory that gave Houston a 2-0 ALCS lead over the New York Yankees, the game was delayed about three minutes as the fan, clad in a Craig Biggio jersey, hopped onto the field and escaped notice as the Astros concluded between-innings warm-ups.
‘I saw someone running and I saw Astros jersey and I said, I’m fine,’ Altuve told reporters after Game 2. ‘He kept saying, ‘OK, we need to win today.’ I said, ‘We will.’ He said, ‘We need to win. I spent all my money on the ticket.’
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‘I was trying to tell him yes, we’re trying to win. We were about to take a selfie but then security guys got there and did their job.’
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A group of four security officers detained the man and handcuffed him while he was on thee ground as the game and TBS’ national broadcast waited it out. The man was escorted off and turned to face the Astros as he was marched toward the right field corner.
Altuve was prepared to accommodate the man.
‘I was going to (take the selfie),’ he said. ‘I was a little too late.’