New York Daily News

JOSE AL-THREE-VE

- Astros reD sox 8 2 GAME 1: GAME 3: GAME 5:

GETTY HOUSTON — Jose Altuve hit three home runs in an unpreceden­ted show of power for the diminutive major league batting champion as the Houston Astros roughed up Chris Sale and the Boston Red Sox, 8-2, Thursday in Game 1 of the AL Division Series.

Buoyed by chants of “MVP” in each trip to the plate, the 5-foot6 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 best-of-five series.

It was just the 10th time a player hit three homers in a postseason 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, George Springer grabbed the All-Star second baseman’s right biceps and examined it as if searching for an explanatio­n for his out-of-theordinar­y pop.

Altuve’s teammates then 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 a late-season trade with Detroit. Sale, the major league strikeout leader, was tagged for seven runs in fiveplus innings extra-base hit.

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 tworun double in the fourth for a 4-2 lead.

Red Sox DH Eduardo Nunez was carried off the field in the first inning with a right knee injury and was later replaced on the postseason roster by outfielder Chris Young. —AP

 ??  ?? Jose Altuve, the undersized front-runner for AL MVP, socks three home runs to power Astros past Red Sox in Game 1 of ALDS Thursday.
Jose Altuve, the undersized front-runner for AL MVP, socks three home runs to power Astros past Red Sox in Game 1 of ALDS Thursday.

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