HOUSTON -- Although his team is down 2-1 in the best-of-seven series, Astros third baseman Alex Bregman has starred in the American League Championship Series. At the plate and in the field. He's reached base 10 times in the three games and has turned in countless web games.

Here is a quick video recap of Bregman's showing in ALCS Game 3 on Tuesday (BOS 8, HOU 2), during which he went 2 for 3 with a double, a walk, and several defensive gems.

The kid is an impressive all-around player. There's no denying it. You can't wait to see what he's going to do next, especially defensively. He's spectacular.

Through three ALCS games the Red Sox have made it pretty clear they will not let Bregman beat them. They've pitched him inside all series in an effort to prevent him from extending his arms, and, because Bregman is so disciplined, he is laying off those inside pitches and drawing walks. Seven of them in the three games, in fact.

"On the offensive side, I've watched him go from being a good overall hitter to an incredibly dangerous hitter," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said Tuesday. "These guys are pitching around him, and rightfully so. Yet he's still staying at the at-bat, he's taking good swings at pitches he can hit and taking his walks. The power numbers are through the roof -- both doubles and homers. And his discipline hasn't suffered because of it."

Bregman seems to be on base every time you look up -- again, he's been on base 10 times (!) in three games -- but all those times on base have not yet resulted in an avalanche of runs. He's been on base 10 times in three games and scored only two runs, both in Game 1. That's because the No. 4 and 5 hitters behind him have not done much. Consider the ALCS numbers:

  • Bregman (No. 3 hitter): 2 for 5 (.400) with seven walks and one hit-by-pitch (.714 on-base percentage)
  • No. 4 hitters: 2 for 12 (.167) with a home run, 3 RBI, and one walk (.231 on-base percentage)
  • No. 5 hitters: 2 for 11 (.182) with 1 RBI and one walk (.250 on-base percentage)

Yuli Gurriel has batted fourth in all three ALCS games and his home run plated three insurance runs in the ninth inning of Game 1. It was an important homer that turned a two-run lead into a five-run lead and let the Astros breathe easy the rest of the night. That is the only time Gurriel has driven in Bregman in the ALCS even though he's been on base so often.

Tyler White batted fifth against the lefties Chris Sale and David Price in Games 1 and 2 while Marwin Gonzalez stepped in as the No. 5 hitter against the righty Nathan Eovaldi in Game 3. Gonzalez fell behind in the count 0-2, battled for another four pitches, then stroked an RBI single to right in the first inning Tuesday. That's the only time the No. 5 hitter has driven in Bregman in the series.

MLB: ALCS-Boston Red Sox at Houston Astros
Yuli Gurriel hasn't done much at the plate with Alex Bregman on base in the ALCS. USATSI

"What we have to have confidence in is the guys behind him are going to be able to be productive," Hinch said. "Yuli, very good with runners in scoring position. Marwin very good, specifically this postseason driving in runs. Whoever is going to hit 6 and 7.
You have to pick your poison a little bit in our order, similar to how we have to do with them."

The Red Sox have picked their poison. They've made it clear. They're not going to pitch to Bregman. Credit to Bregman, he's refused to change his approach and potentially throw himself out of whack at the plate. He's not getting much to hit at all, so he's taking his walks and passing the baton. Thus far the guys he's passed the baton to haven't made the Red Sox pay.

For the Astros to send the ALCS back to Boston for Game 6, they'll need guys like Gurriel and Gonzalez and White to start getting Bregman home. He's on base all the time these days. All the time. He's only scored two runs in three games though, so Boston's plan to not let Bregman beat them is working perfectly.