Where does Altuve's home run rank?
The 5 most memorable moments in Houston sports history
Oct 20, 2019, 1:02 pm
Getty Images
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.
Most Popular
SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome
Listen Live
Alperen Sengun had 32 points and 14 rebounds, and the Houston Rockets held on to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 119-115 on Thursday night in a showdown between two of the top teams in the Western Conference.
Jalen Green finished with 27 points and Fred VanVleet scored 22 as the Rockets won their third straight and solidified their hold on second place in the Western Conference, moving 1 1/2 games ahead of Memphis.
Ja Morant scored 27 points in his return from a five-game absence with a shoulder injury, and Jaren Jackson Jr. added 21 points, eight rebounds and six blocks for Memphis. Desmond Bane had 16 points.
Houston dominated the inside early, scoring 20 points in the paint before the halfway point of the first quarter. Memphis initially couldn't stop anything at the rim. Houston opened a 17-point lead before taking a 68-63 advantage at the break.
Takeaways
Rockets: Houston is 12-5 on the road, including six straight wins away from home.
Grizzlies: After allowing the Rockets to score inside and build a big lead, Memphis chipped into the advantage to make it a more competitive game.
Key moment
With 3.8 seconds left in the game and Houston leading 117-114, Bane fired up a 3-pointer that rattled in. But Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins called timeout before the shot was made. Bane was fouled on the ensuing inbounds, and Memphis wouldn't get another chance for a winning shot.
Key stat
Houston is 19-3 when they score at least 110. Houston hasn't allowed more than 115 points in past 15 games.
Up next
The Rockets are at Atlanta on Saturday. Memphis travels to Minnesota to face the Timberwolves on Saturday.