If it makes the Yankees feel any better (it probably won’t), these Rays are starting to feel like a team of destiny.

Or, if it makes the Yankees feel any better (it probably will), Jose Altuve registered the most ignominious day of his brilliant career.

One hard play made, one easy play unmade, and unless the Astros find another gear in this ALCS, the Rays will have it made in the Southern California shade. The Rays prevailed in this tense Game 2 pitcher’s duel, 4-2 over the Astros at Petco Park on Monday, escaping a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the ninth on an Alex Bregman flyout, and own a 2-0 lead in the series.

“That was like Game 5 all over again,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said, referring to his team’s thrilling ALDS clincher over Aroldis Chapman and the Yankees last week at Petco.

Whereas normally in a best-of-seven series the trailing team would welcome a day off day for travel as well as the accompanying change of scenery at this juncture, no such reprieve exists this time thanks to the COVID-altered schedule. Game 3 comes Tuesday at Petco. The Rays stand ahead because they capitalized on the first of two throwing errors by Altuve, the terrific Houston second baseman who ended the 2019 Yankees’ season with an ALCS Game 6 homer off of Chapman. The number of Altuve’s 2020 regular-season throwing errors equaled the number of jerseys he has removed on the field upon slugging a pennant-winning homer: Zero.

Tampa Bay outfielder Manuel Margot, meanwhile, who hit the three-run, first-inning homer that made Altuve’s bad throw sting, pulled off a stunning catch to end the top of the second inning and douse an Astros rally. The 26-year-old, who slugged a two-run blast against the Yankees’ J.A. Happ in ALDS Game 2 (remember that one?), pursued George Springer’s slicing foul ball in the sun, leapt against the wall, caught the ball and then tumbled over and out of play, holding onto the ball despite the impact of the fall. Springer shook his head in amazement as he stranded teammates on second and third base.

“That play was unbelievable,” winning pitcher Charlie Morton said. “I’m glad he’s OK. That was phenomenal.”

Asked which he liked better, the homer or the catch, Margot replied through an interpreter, “Definitely the home run. The home run didn’t hurt.”

Morton actually got outpitched by his former Astros teammate Lance McCullers Jr., who struck out 11 and walked none over seven innings. Yet while McCullers watched Altuve undergo a mini-meltdown, Morton, as he expended 96 pitches over five innings, saw his teammates with gloves convert hard-hit ball after hard-hit ball into out after out. In addition to Margot’s play of the game, shortstop Willy Adames, third baseman Joey Wendle and center fielder Kevin Kiermaier all excelled, as did first baseman Ji-Man Choi, the former Yankee, who displayed acrobatics in stretching for throws that belied his roly-poly physique.

“These guys are all in for each other,” Morton said. “They all put their bodies on the line. They’ve been doing that all year.”

Only the last run McCullers allowed, Mike Zunino’s solo blast in the eighth, went down as earned. Because in the bottom of the first, with two outs and Randy Arozarena (yes, him again) on first base, Choi hit what looked like a simple grounder into the shift, with Altuve positioned in short right field. Except Altuve bounced the throw and Houston first baseman Yuli Gurriel couldn’t corral it, and then Margot followed with his surprising homer to straightaway center field, giving the Rays the only lead they’d need.

When Altuve committed an even more egregious error in the third, botching his relay from the identical spot on a Brandon Lowe grounder, well … Astros manager Dusty Baker acknowledged his worst fears.

“You hope he isn’t getting the yips, because invariably they come in bunches,” Baker said. “I told him to flush it. This guy has been awesome for us. You’ve got to flush it and move on or else it multiplies. I’m sure he’ll do that.” Altuve did execute on two more grounders without incident. Unless the Astros create some incidents in their favor, though, they’ll yield their defense of the AL pennant to the mighty Rays.