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.
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NFL insiders hint at eye-opening future for Houston Texans offense
Dec 7, 2024, 2:38 pm
C.J. Stroud faced criticism in Houston's last few games as the Texans hit a rough patch after losing just two of their first eight games.
But the second-year quarterback remained confident and his strong performance last Sunday helped the Texans (8-5) to a 23-20 win over the Jaguars to enter their bye with a two-game lead atop the AFC South.
“When he is leading and playing the way he is playing, our entire team feeds off of him,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “I am excited for his second year. I think he is showing a ton of growth, he is in a really great spot for us physically, mentally. I really love where he is and I am excited to see how he comes back after the break.”
Stroud threw for 242 yards and a touchdown against Jacksonville to leave him ranked fourth in the NFL with 3,117 yards passing this season. That game came after he threw two interceptions in a 32-27 loss to Tennessee a week before for the team’s third loss in four games.
Those two interceptions brought his season total to nine, which are four more than he threw in 15 games a rookie. But the Texans aren’t worried about that statistic and believe he has grown in his second year.
“He’s made a lot of progress,” general manager Nick Caserio said. “There are some plays, like all of our players, that we probably wish he could have back, but happy he’s our quarterback, happy with what he brings to the table. ... Wouldn’t want anyone else leading this team.”
The Texans are in position to win their division for a second straight season despite dealing with several significant injuries on offense. Running back Joe Mixon missed three games early with an ankle injury and leading receiver Nico Collins was sidelined for five games with a hamstring injury.
They also lost four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs for the season when tore an ACL in Week 8.
Mixon leads the team with 887 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns and has added four touchdown receptions. His work in his first season in Houston after a trade from Cincinnati has helped the team deal with those significant injuries to the receiving corps.
Mixon ranks third in the NFL by averaging 88.7 yards rushing a game and has had at least 100 yards rushing in seven games.
Stroud has continually raved about Mixon’s contributions on and off the field.
“He’s a servant, a helper,” Stroud said. “That’s ultimately what I want to be as well. Who can I serve and how can I help? That’s ultimately what the game of football is.”
While Mixon has been the team’s most important new acquisition on offense, Danielle Hunter has been Houston’s new defensive star. The defensive end spent his first eight seasons in Minnesota before joining the Texans this year.
He has helped Houston lead the NFL with 84 tackles for loss after piling up 15 this season, which is tied for third most in the league. He also leads the Texans with 10½ sacks to help them rank second with 42.
Hunter been a great addition to a team that already had defensive end Will Anderson Jr., last year’s AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. Anderson ranks second to Hunter on the team with 13 tackles for loss and 9½ sacks.
Ryans said this week’s break is much needed for a team that opened the preseason on Aug. 1 in the Hall of Fame game.
“It’s here and we’re going to take advantage of it,” he said. “We’ve been going at it for a long time.”
The Texans need to recharge this week with a brutal stretch of three games in 10 days when they return from their bye. Houston hosts Miami on Dec. 15 before a trip to Kansas City on Dec. 21 and a visit from the Ravens on Christmas Day.
“It’s Christmas and all that, but we can’t worry about that. All we can do is focus on Miami,” Caserio said. “And then when we get through the Miami game, then we kind of turn the page to the next. ... We’re either going to earn it or we’re not. Not to oversimplify it, but that’s the truth.”
The Texans will play those game without starting linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair after he received a three-game suspension for his violent hit to the head of Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence, which led to a concussion.
Al-Shaair will be eligible to return for Houston’s regular-season finale against Tennessee.