Where does Altuve's home run rank?
The 5 most memorable moments in Houston sports history
Oct 20, 2019, 1:02 pm
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Saturday night, Jose Altuve hit a walk-off home run to send the Astros back to the World Series. As single sports moments go, it was up there. A look at where it ranks:
5) CRAIG BIGGIO'S 3000th HIT
The Astros had a terrific run with Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell leading the way, but by 2007, the run was coming to an end. They never quite got over the top, but in the last great moment of the era, Biggio would get his 3000th hit on June 28 against the Colorado Rockies. It would be his third hit of a five hit night and would all but guarantee his spot in the Hall of Fame.
4) MIKE SCOTT'S CLINCHING NO HITTER
On Sept. 25, 1986, Mike Scott took the mound against the San Francisco Giants with a chance to clinch the NL West and earn the team's second all-time playoff appearance. Back then, there were two divisions in each league, and the winners of each met in the NLCS. Scott would punch the ticket in amazing fashion, striking out 13 Giants and pitching a no-hitter. It was the only time a division was clinched with a no-hit performance and it topped this list for many years. The Astros would go on to lose a classic series against the Mets, but the Scott moment would live in Houston lore forever.
3) ALTUVE'S BLAST
Tied in the ninth, Jose Altuve hit a walk-off home run off of Aroldis Chapman to send the Astros to the World Series for the third time in history and second time in three years.
2) ALEX BREGMAN'S WALK-OFF IN GAME 5 OF THE 2017 SERIES
It did not win a title - yet - but it did put the Astros up 3-2 in the Series, which they would go on to win in seven games. Alex Bregman's hit drove in Derek Fisher in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Astros a 13-12 win in one of the greatest World Series games ever played. Without it, the Astros do not win their first World Series.
1) ROCKETS WIN GAME 7 AGAINST THE KNICKS FOR FIRST TITLE
The 1993-94 Hakeem Olajuwon led Rockets were on the cusp of their first ever NBA title, and the first major sports championship in the city's history. Olajuwon came up big in Game 7 with 25 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 blocks as the Rockets held on for the 90-84 win as the Knicks' John Starks shot 2 for 18. As the clock ticked down to zero, the city had its first ever title in a major sport, after decades of incompetence.
Sunday night matchups don't get much exciting than this, as the Houston Texans host the Detroit Lions in prime-time at NRG.
The Lions come into this game on a six-game winning streak looking every bit of the best team in football. Houston on the other hand has lost two of their last three games with a struggling offense unable to protect their quarterback.
CJ Stroud has only one passing touchdown over this span, and is clearly having trouble adjusting to life without Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins.
If Houston is going to come away with an upset victory, they will need big performances from Tank Dell and Joe Mixon. After catching 4 passes against the Colts two weeks ago, Mixon not only failed to catch a single pass against the Jets, but he wasn't even targeted.
Considering the Texans' offensive line issues, choosing not to use Mixon as a pass catcher is hard to fathom. Especially since he and Dell are the team's top 2 playmakers.
What's working in the Texans' favor?
They play this game at home, where they are undefeated this season. A lot of the team's protection issues have popped up on the road, so communication should be easier for the offense on their home turf.
Bulls on Parade
We have good news and bad news about the defense this week. On the positive side, Azeez Al-Shaair and Jimmy Ward have returned to practice. If they're able to contribute on Sunday night, that would give the defense a lift.
And now for the bad news. Will Anderson has yet to practice this week after rolling his ankle in the Jets game. If he is unable to practice on Friday, it's hard to imagine he'll be active against Detroit.
X-factors
The Texans have to show some improvement on the offensive line this week.
Houston must lean on Joe Mixon again, as Nico Collins isn't expected to play.
Lions' Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the best receivers in the league, and he does most of his damage from the slot. If the Texans continue to deploy Jalen Pitre against premier receivers in man coverage, St. Brown is going to light up the scoreboard.
What would a win over the Lions mean to Houston?
The Texans are no longer considered a true championship contender because of their losses to the Packers, Vikings, and Jets. In fact, the Bills are the only team with a winning record that the Texans have beaten.
An upset win over the streaking Lions would change that narrative.
What does Vegas think?
The Lions are currently favored by 3.5 and the total is set at 49 points.
Don't miss the full preview of Texans-Lions in the video above!
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