Álvarez Plays Hero Again, Lifting Houston Astros to Game 2 Win

Yordan Álvarez responds again, smashing a go-ahead home run in the sixth inning for the Houston Astros.

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

When everything looked like it was on the downswing, Yordan Álvarez brought the fireworks. The power-hitting lefty cranked a two-run home run into the Crawford Boxes, giving the Houston Astros the lead in the sixth frame.

With two outs, Jeremy Peña blooped a singled off Seattle Mariners starter Luis Castillo into center field, paving way for an opportunity for Álvarez to play hero for a consecutive game.

Just like Tuesday, Álvarez took the second pitch he saw and put it over the outfield wall. He brought life to an offense struggling against Castillo.

Prior to yielding the two-run shot and the Peña single, Castillo had held Houston's offense silent. The All-Star righty allowed just two hits — a home run to Kyle Tucker and a double to Peña — while striking out six Astros, allowing no walks before losing the lead.

Tucker picked up where Álvarez left off two days ago. The lefty towered a "ceiling scraper" to right field, striking first for the Astros, but one hit wasn't much of a difference maker early on.

Houston Astros Pitcher Framber Valdez / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Framber Valdez ran into trouble in the fourth frame. With one out, the lefty issued a walk Eugenio Suarez before surrendering a double to Mitch Haniger.

The Mariners sat in scoring positions, and a weak infield grounder from Carlos Santana ensued chaos. Valdez fielded the grounder to his right side and misfired a throw home as Suarez slid in safely to tie the contest.

After fielding the ball off the backstop, Martín Maldonado held Haniger at third base, firing to José Altuve at second to prevent Santana from advancing. Altuve ran down Santana for the second out.

But with Haniger left at third base, Dylan Moore singled home a second run to take Seattle's first lead of the afternoon. Moore provided the go-ahead knock, and he also knocked Valdez out of the game.

Recording consecutive outs, Valdez was one away from guaranteeing a quality start, if the seventh frame wasn't an option. But a walk and a double put runners in scoring position with a one-run lead, and Valdez couldn't escape the threat.

The lefty walked Moore which was enough for manager Dusty Baker to give Valdez the hook. Héctor Neris entered with the bases loaded and two outs but induced a ground out to the right side to end the threat.

Seattle flirted with a runner in scoring position in the seventh after Rafael Montero — who entered with two outs for Bryan Abreu — walked Ty France to put runners at first and second. 

But on a 1-1 count, Suarez lined a low strike to left field which was reeled in by none other than Álvarez to end another scoring opportunity for the Mariners.

Montero threw 10 straight changeups in the eighth inning, issuing a walk to Santana and a long out to Jarred Kelenic. The righty closed the frame, punching out Cal Raleigh and showing the same level of emotion Neris did in the sixth.

And to add to the lead in the eighth, Peña walked with two outs, leading to another opportunity for Álvarez, or not. The Mariners intentionally walked Álvarez to get to Alex Bregman.

Andrés Muñoz yielded a single to Bregman which scored Peña from second and advanced Álvarez to third. Scott Servais walked Álvarez to push a runner into scoring position with the same pitcher on the mound that gave up the Game 1 home run to Bregman.

Ryan Pressly was granted a two-run lead for the ninth inning for his first outing in the postseason. The righty issued a four-pitch walk to Adam Frazier. 

The next hitter, J.P. Crawford, lined out to Yuli Gurriel, who caught Frazier in his tracks for a double play. Julio Rodríguez responded with a two-out double before Pressly closed the door, striking out France.

The Astros have a scheduled off day Friday before their Game 3, starting at 3:07 p.m. Saturday at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. Lance McCullers Jr. will start against righty George Kirby.

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