ALTUVE PUTS ON A SHOW FOR ASTROS.
HOUSTON — Jose Altuve hit three home runs in an unprecedented show of power for the diminutive Major League Baseball batting champion as the Houston Astros roughed up Chris Sale and the Boston Red Sox, 8-2, on Thursday afternoon in Game 1 of the American League Division Series.
Buoyed by chants of “MVP” in each trip to the plate, the five-footsix Altuve hit solo homers in the first and fifth innings off Sale. He connected again in the seventh off reliever Austin Maddox to give Houston a quick boost in the bestof-five series.
It was just the 10th time a player hit three homers in a post-season game, and first since Pablo Sandoval for the Giants in the 2012 World Series opener against Detroit. Babe Ruth did it twice.
After Altuve rounded the bases on his third solo homer, which landed on the train tracks atop left field, his teammates goaded him into exiting the dugout for a curtain call. And as he tipped his hat to the crowd one fan near the dugout held a sign that proclaimed in blue block letters: “That Kid Can Hit.”
“As soon as I cross the white line, I feel the same size as everyone else,” Altuve said after the win.
Justin Verlander pitched six effective innings and improved to 6-0 since Houston got him in late trade with Detroit. Sale, the major league strikeout leader, was tagged for seven runs in five-plus innings of his post-season debut.
Game 2 is Friday, with Dallas Keuchel starting for the Astros against Drew Pomeranz.
Alex Bregman and Altuve hit back-to-back homers in the first inning, making Sale look a bit rattled. The Red Sox tied it up by scoring a run each in the second and fourth innings before Marwin Gonzalez lined a two-run double in the fourth for a 4-2 lead.
There were two outs in the fifth inning when Altuve connected again to push the lead to 5-2.
The crowd of 43,402, which included Hall of Famers Nolan Ryan, Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio, waved bright orange towels as Altuve trotted around the bases.
Quite a comeback from his only previous post-season — in 2015, he batted just .154 (4 for 26) without an extra-base hit.