MINNEAPOLIS -- Darren McCaughan wasn¡¯t completely sure what was going on, but he knew it was unusual.
As McCaughan, a 29-year-old journeyman with his fourth Major League team, closed in on a strikeout of Jose Altuve on Thursday afternoon, Target Field swelled with anticipation. The home opener crowd, mostly quiet for the middle innings, grew louder and louder.
"First time I haven't been able to hear the PitchCom out there, so that was kind of new,¡± said McCaughan.
Altuve, a likely Hall of Famer, had struck out four times, all swinging, before facing McCaughan in the ninth inning. And the crowd knew it. They wanted five. McCaughan got ahead, 0-2, before missing with two pitches. Altuve fouled off a 2-2, and the sixth pitch was close ¨C but a ball, despite the crowd¡¯s protestations.
Then finally on the seventh pitch, McCaughan located at the bottom outside corner of the zone, Altuve watched it, and K No. 5 was in the books. It was the first time Altuve had ever struck out five times in a game.
"I figured the crowd was going crazy for a reason,¡± McCaughan said. ¡°I saw him strike out a few times. I didn't know the exact number on it. but yeah, I was seeing him swing and miss when I was sitting down in the bullpen.¡±
It wasn¡¯t the first time McCaughan had fanned Altuve. The Astros¡¯ second baseman was the first K victim of his entire career, back in 2021 when McCaughan was a Mariner.