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The Houston Astros finally got back into the win column on Thursday, defeating the Minnesota Twins, 5-2. But that was no thanks to future Hall of Fame second baseman Jose Altuve. The Astros star had a night to forget at the plate, going 0-for-5 with five strikeouts.
Incredibly, it is the first time in Altuve's career he struck out five times in a game, per The Athletic. That more speaks to how great he had been at the dish throughout his career than anything.
Luckily for Houston, the bottom part of the order did damage vs. Twins starter Joe Ryan.
Christian Walker, Jose Pena, Victor Caratini, and Brendan Rogers combined to go 8-for-15 with two home runs, five RBI and all five of the team's runs scored.
For more than a decade, he has been an anchor up the spine of the defense. Interestingly, Altuve once again got a start in left field though on Thursday. He has started at the corner infield spot in five of the seven games this season, making just one start at second base.
But age catches up to everyone and his reflexes are not quite what they were. Playing out in left field, especially at home in Houston, allows Altuve to salvage some energy. But maybe the most impressive thing about Altuve through all of these years has not been his productivity, but his durability.
The nine-time All-Star has played in at least 141 games in all but three seasons of his illustrious career. One of the years he did not reach that mark was the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
Despite the tough outing, the 34-year-old righty has started his 15th major league season hot at the plate. Prior to Thursday's clunker, Altuve was 9-for-23 at the plate with four runs scored already.
With the win, the Astros snapped their three-game losing streak. They were recently swept at home by the red-hot San Francisco Giants.
