ARLINGTON, Texas, September 6 – The Houston Astros unleashed an offensive onslaught, led by Jose Altuve’s historic three-homer performance, as they cruised to a resounding 14-1 victory over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday in Arlington, Texas.
In a remarkable display of power hitting, Altuve achieved the first three-homer game of his career, joining an exclusive club that includes Carl Reynolds (1930 Chicago White Sox) and Manny Machado (2016 Baltimore Orioles) as the only players to launch home runs in each of the first three innings of a game, as reported by MLB.com.
Altuve, who boosted his season total to 15 home runs, showcased his extraordinary hitting prowess with five long balls in the past two days. The Astros had initiated their series against the Rangers with a 13-6 win on Monday, with Altuve contributing two home runs, and he continued his hot streak with three solo shots on Tuesday.
The victory marked Houston’s seventh win in ten games, solidifying their position at 79-61, while the Rangers fell to 76-62 after suffering their fifth loss in six games.
Joining Altuve in the power-hitting display, Martin Maldonado also delivered a two-homer performance for the Astros, and Yordan Alvarez contributed a home run among his three hits. Jeremy Pena played a significant role with three hits and three runs.
Nathan Eovaldi (11-4), making his highly anticipated return for the Rangers, endured a challenging outing, lasting just 1 1/3 innings. Eovaldi conceded four runs on five hits, including two of Altuve’s home runs. He issued one walk and recorded one strikeout. Eovaldi had been sidelined for six weeks due to a right forearm strain.
In contrast, Framber Valdez (11-9) put on a stellar pitching performance for the Astros, going seven innings and allowing only one run on six hits and four walks while striking out four.
The Astros took control of the game early, establishing a three-run lead in the first inning. Altuve led off the game with a solo home run to left-center field, and consecutive singles from Pena and Alvarez followed. After a groundout and a walk, Jose Abreu’s fielder’s-choice groundout brought Pena home, and Chas McCormick’s RBI single extended the lead to 3-0.
The second inning mirrored the first for the Astros, with Altuve belting another solo home run, which spelled the end of Eovaldi’s night. Pena singled off Dane Dunning, loading the bases for Abreu, who delivered a single up the middle for two RBIs, pushing the lead to 6-0.
Houston continued to pile on runs with three more in the third inning. Maldonado launched a two-run homer to left field, and Altuve capped off his historic night with his third home run.
Although the Rangers broke the shutout with Marcus Semien’s fifth-inning RBI single, a five-run seventh inning from the Astros solidified their double-digit lead. Both Maldonado and Alvarez contributed two-run home runs, ultimately sealing the emphatic 14-1 victory. The Astros closed the game with an impressive six home runs, further asserting their dominance in this Texas showdown.
