THE PALLILOG
After Altuve’s legendary blast, here’s what’s next for Astros
Oct 20, 2023, 7:00 pm
THE PALLILOG
It was in 1995 after the Rockets won their second straight NBA Championship that Head Coach Rudy Tomjanovich famously said "Don't EVER underestimate the heart of a champion!" This won't be happening, though those who go back to the Rockets' golden era would find it spine-tingling (I know I would) to have Rudy T. belt out his most famous quote followed by "Play Ball!" before game six Sunday night.
Down two games to none in the American League Championship series, the Astros delivered a "Godfather Part II" level sequel to their September obliteration of the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Last month it was a cumulative 39-10 three game destruction. This time it was "only" 23-12, but with the higher stakes of the ALCS, sweeping three again in Arlington is an extremely clutch been there, done that, did it again performance. It seems impossible for Jose Altuve to keep adding entries to his postseason legend but he keeps coming up with additional chapters for the book. Altuve's top of the ninth three-run homer Friday turning a 4-2 deficit into a 5-4 lead and ultimately win is up until now the defining moment between the Astros and Rangers franchises. But the job is not yet complete.
After winning three straight on the road the Astros need to avoid another deja vu feeling. The road team having won all five games of this series reminds of the 2019 World Series when the Astros rallied from 0-2 down to take three games at the Washington Nationals, only to then lose games six and seven at home. Despite their perplexingly poor performance at Minute Maid Park this year the odds are solidly against the Astros again failing in both games six and seven, but those odds are roughly 4-1, not 100-1. So here we are, the Astros one victory from a fifth World Series appearance in seven years.
The game six pitching matchup favors the challengers. One could argue that J.P. France should get the ball instead, but Framber Valdez gets a shot at redemption with the game six start as the Astros try to close out the upstaters. Valdez had a first inning debacle in losing game two, that after a crummy performance against Minnesota in the Division Series. In seven innings over those two outings Valdez has been torched for 14 hits, walked four, and given up nine earned runs plus one unearned run caused by his own error. On balance over the last four months Valdez has been lousy with a 5.09 earned run average over 18 starts. Still two seasons away from free agent eligibility, he can forget about a huge contract extension this offseason.
The Rangers go with game two winner Nathan Eovaldi. The Alvin native has been money this postseason in each of his three starts, though the Astros did manage three runs in six innings against him. It's not worth anything now but noteworthy anyway: two years ago the Astros won the pennant at Minute Maid Park by beating Eovaldi in game six. That was Astros 5-0 over the Red Sox with Luis Garcia the winning pitcher.
If there is a decisive seventh game Monday, the game three starting pitching matchup comes back around. That means Cristian Javier for the Astros, Max Scherzer for the Rangers. That means clear advantage Astros, though as always in one game you never know.
Javier doesn't have the body of work yet to rate with the greatest postseason pitchers of all-time but what he has done over four starts is awesome. Even after Josh Jung proved Javier a postseason mortal by hitting a two run homer off of him, "El Reptil" sits with a cold-blooded 0.82 earned run average with the opponents' batting average in those four starts a feeble .071.
Scherzer meanwhile would try to summon up the stuff and command to give the Rangers a chance through the early innings. At 39 years old and rusty he may not have the goods to do so, but he would not be cowed by the pressure of the situation.
Scherzer does have game seven at Minute Maid Park experience. He started the ultimate game of the 2019 World Series and in an immensely gritty performance held the Astros to two runs despite needing 103 pitches to get through five innings. No need to get into how that game and series ended.
Thoughts on the benches clearing episode in the bottom of the eighth Friday. Trailing 4-2 and having walked the leadoff man, Bryan Abreu would have been foolish to intentionally drill Adolis Garcia in his first plate appearance after his game turning three-run homer off of Justin Verlander. Nevertheless, batters don't take well to 99 miles per hour coming toward their head and shoulders. Garcia snapped, the benches unnecessarily emptied, but fortunately nothing stupid came from it. Garcia and Abreu were both ejected and then Dusty Baker got tossed arguing Abreu's ejection. Abreu getting run may well have benefitted the Astros. He faced two batters, walking one then hitting the other. After the nonsense, Ryan Pressly came on to get three straight outs and keep the Astros within two going to the ninth. The stakes are too high now for any aftershocks within this series, but this will likely be remembered in 2024.
With the massive thunderbolts Jose Abreu has been delivering the last three weeks, it's incredible that he went 105 games (his last 55 games with the White Sox plus his first 50 games as an Astro) mustering one measly homer. Even if he was getting out of traction every day before heading to the ballpark. Even if he was using a pool cue stick instead of a bat. The raw power is, well, Yordan-esque. Speaking of Mr. Alvarez, best jersey I saw at Globe Life Field was an Astros fan wearing a number 35. Not "Verlander" on the back, but "Fields." As in Josh Fields, who Jeff Luhnow traded for Alvarez in 2016. If the Astros opt to retire Verlander's 35 at some point, Fields should be invited to the ceremony.
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Cam Smith hit a three-run homer in his first game against the Cubs since being traded to Houston and Brandon Walter threw six solid innings in his first MLB victory as the Astros beat Chicago 7-4 on Friday night.
THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER.#BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/xZ9dvfZYTs
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 28, 2025
Yainer Diaz added a three-run homer as AL West-leading Houston extended its winning streak to five games.
3-run Yainer Bomb!#BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/4zku17xsR0
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 28, 2025
The Astros scored four runs in the third off Cubs starter Cade Horton (3-2), with Jose Altuve scoring on a sacrifice fly by Victor Caratini before Diaz capped the inning with his 377-foot shot to left-center.
Smith, a first-round draft selection by Chicago last year was acquired by the Astros in the offseason as part of the deal for Kyle Tucker, extended Houston’s lead to 7-0 in the fourth with his home run off the left field façade, his sixth of the season. Smith had two hits and scored two runs.
Walter (1-1), a 28-year-old left-hander, allowed one run on four hits with five strikeouts. Josh Hader got the final out for his 22nd save.
Jeremy Peña exited in the fifth with left rib soreness. He was hit by a pitch in his left side in the second. There was no immediate word on the extent of his injury.
Nico Hoerner hit a solo home run in the fifth, and Matt Shaw added a two-run double in the seventh and an RBI double in the ninth for NL Central-leading Chicago.
Horton allowed seven runs on eight hits with four walks in four innings.
Tucker was hitless in his return to Houston. He kept the game scoreless in the first, throwing Isaac Paredes out at the plate to end the frame.
Hader inducing a lineout to center by Ian Happ to end it with Tucker, representing the tying run, on deck.
Houston has its second five-game winning streak for the month of June, and improved to an MLB-best 18-6 this month.
Cubs RHP Colin Rea (4-3, 4.42 ERA) starts the second game of the three-game series Saturday. Houston has not named a starter.