Houston Astros' Jose Altuve Adds to His Own Postseason Legend with Game 1 Leadoff Homer
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Houston Astros leadoff man Jose Altuve added to his own mark in baseball history on Saturday with a leadoff home run in Game 1 of the American League Division Series against the Minnesota Twins.
Per Sarah Langs of MLB.com:
that’s Jose Altuve’s 8th career postseason HR in the 1st inning
that’s 2 more than anyone else in postseason history (Albert Pujols, 6)
Altuve has been an integral part of the Astros' dynasty for years. He helped the team win the World Series in both 2017 and 2022 and is a career .271 hitter in the playoffs (entering play on Saturday).
This regular season was an odd one for Altuve, who missed multiple months at the beginning of the season with an injury sustained in the World Baseball Classic. As a result, he only played in 90 games, but he still produced when healthy. Altuve hit .311 with 17 home runs and 51 RBI - all while posting a .393 on-base percentage.
He helped lead the Astros to another American League West title, which they won on the final day of the regular season.
Lifetime, Altuve is a .307 hitter with 209 home runs and 293 stolen bases. He is an eight-time All-Star, a six-time Silver Slugger, a three-time batting champion, a Gold Glover and an MVP winner.
At the time of this posting, the Astros lead the Twins 1-0 in the second inning. Game 2 of the series will be played on Sunday night.
First pitch from Houston will be at 8:03 p.m. ET.
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