It was the Jose Altuve Show last night at Minute Maid Park in Houston. The Astros' 5'6 second baseman belted three home runs against the Boston Red Sox, paving the way for Houston's 8-2 victory in Game 1 of the ALDS.
Altuve hit a solo homerun off Red Sox starter Chris Sale in the bottom of the first inning, and then again in the bottom of the fifth. Red Sox reliever Austin Maddox took his share of medicine too, as Altuve greeted him with another solo shot in the bottom of the seventh.
His three homerun performance is only the 10th time a player has done so in postseason history. Altuve is the second second baseman to do it, and second straight Venezuelan-born player to do it.
Jose Altuve isn't human, he's crushed his 3rd dinger of the game 👀🔥pic.twitter.com/zS3mtSD2F9 — Baseball King™ (@BasebaIlKing) October 5, 2017
The Sox and Astros will be back at it again this afternoon for Game 2 of the ALDS, which will air on Fox Sports 1 2:05pm.
Check out some of the reactions to the Astros dominant victory in Game 1, specifically Jose Altuve's epic performance, below.
Jose Altuve is the closest thing we've seen in MLB to Pablo Sanchez. Small strike zone, crazy power, game changing talent, generational icon — Cespedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) October 5, 2017
Perfect Jose Altuve photo today from our Brett Coomer (@coomerchron). pic.twitter.com/tesc6L8U3R — Matt Young (@Chron_MattYoung) October 5, 2017
Hey Aaron Judge, Imma let you finish, but Jose Altuve is the MVP. pic.twitter.com/GVt8WyGlh2 — AJ Hoffman (@AJIsTheReal) October 5, 2017
Live Look at Jose Altuve vs The Red Sox yesterday #Astrospic.twitter.com/eQFMlXPhJT — SN0WBLACK_THE_ORACLE (@sportsmediaLM) October 6, 2017
Reminder: Jose Altuve will make $6 million next season and $6.5 million the season after. He made $4.5 million this season. Just a reminder that Jose Altuve is criminally underpaid — Adam Spolane (@AdamSpolane) October 5, 2017
Your #postseason home run leader and Aaron Judge. pic.twitter.com/mfgbc42FeG — Ryan M. Spaeder (@theaceofspaeder) October 5, 2017
Jose Altuve when he sees Red Sox pitching pic.twitter.com/P0uFNdtxVv — Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) October 5, 2017
Jose Altuve's 2nd home run off Chris Sale: 108.5 mph, 415 feet, per @Statcast. Altuve's hardest hit of any kind this season. #Astrospic.twitter.com/bA074xnVvg — David Adler (@_dadler) October 5, 2017
José Altuve is the first 2B with a multi-HR postseason game since Chase Utley in the 2009 WS. 3rd Astros player to do it (Correa, Beltrán). pic.twitter.com/QJzkG2PpbP — ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 5, 2017