Astros Beat Rangers on Ninth-Inning Jose Altuve Home Run, and MLB World Lost It

The Astros took a 3–2 series lead over the Rangers in Game 5 of the ALCS on Friday, powered by a dramatic ninth-inning home run by Houston star Jose Altuve. Massive late-game home runs for both teams bookended a heated bases-clearing skirmish on the field, ensuring that the game would go down as one of the highlights of the 2023 postseason.

With the Astros trailing, 4–2, with two runners on and no outs in the top of the ninth, Altuve drilled a pitch to left field that just cleared the wall and the glove of Evan Carter. The homer proved to be the game-winner for Houston, putting the team just one win shy of yet another trip to the World Series.

Ryan Pressly, who entered the game in a hectic bottom of the eighth for Houston, allowed two singles to begin the bottom of the ninth before setting down Marcus Semien and Corey Seager and striking out Carter to end the game.

Tensions boiled over an inning earlier, but the heat really began in the bottom of the sixth, when Rangers slugger Adolis García hit a three-run homer to put Texas up 4–2. He celebrated with a powerful spike of the bat that wound up setting the stage for the chaos that ensued with his at-bat two innings later.

The Houston Astros and Texas Rangers benches cleared after a hit-by-pitch in the eighth inning of their dramatic ALCS Game 5.

Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP

In the bottom of the eighth, with a runner already on base, Astros reliever Bryan Abreu hit García on the arm with a fastball, leading to his ejection. Benches cleared, and García and Houston manager Dusty Baker were both tossed as well.

García was set to be the hero for Texas, until Altuve—already an Astros legend—added another incredible chapter to his Hall of Fame-caliber career. 

Game 5 proved to be one of the highlights of the postseason so far, and the baseball world couldn’t get enough.