Slumping Astros star Bregman breaks loose, slams Nationals

WASHINGTON (AP) — By the time Alex Bregman took nearly 30 seconds to circle the bases, then engaged in a series of animated high-fives, pats, hugs and personalized handshakes between the plate and the dugout, it was pretty clear.

See ya, slump.

Bregman broke loose Saturday night, putting the Houston Astros ahead with an RBI single in the first inning and later launching a grand slam off Fernando Rodney that highlighted an 8-1 romp over Washington in Game 4 of the World Series.

"This game was a game of failure, and you're going to fail a heck of a lot more than you succeed in it," Bregman said. "So I think the feeling that I had when I hit that was I was pretty fired up."

Holding his bat high, Bregman took a half-dozen steps or more down the first base line, watching his game-breaking slam sail in the seventh. He added another single for good measure as the Astros pulled even.

"Tweaked a few things mechanically in between at-bats today," he said. "But I wouldn't say I really changed too much approach-wise. I think just mechanically I was better."

A day earlier, the regular season MVP candidate was hitless in five-bats, including a groundout against Rodney after the Nationals issued an intentional walk to face Bregman with the bases loaded.

Overall, that left him at 1 for 13 in the Series.

Bregman wasn't daunted — that's not his personality, he's definitely among the most self-assured players in baseball.

The cleanup man was confident he would clean up. So were the Astros.

"I wasn't worried about Alex. He might go 0 for 10, but then he might go 10 for 10 with 20 RBIs. I know he's going to go and play good and he's going to help us win the World Series," star second baseman José Altuve said.

Said manager AJ Hinch: "He's one of the best players in baseball. But it...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Slumping-Astros-star-Bregman-breaks-loose-slams-14565535.php