HOUSTON – The Minute Maid Park rooftop was open on a pristine Thursday night, a loud and energetic crowd was at every pitch and the balls were flying out of the ballpark at a record pace. It was such a great night for the Astros, that Jose Altuve, the second driller, later said it was ‘like a dream come true’.
For the A’s, it was more like a nightmare. Carlos Correa, Yordan Alvarez and Altuve each thrashed solo visitors, while the Astros continued their dominance against the A’s in the early season with a 6-2 victory in their home in front of 21,765 fans – the first time Houston ahead has played its own fans since Game 7 of the 2019 World Series.
“Tonight was a perfect night for us,” Altuve said.
Through seven games, the Astros (6-1) clinched a 15-home run with a franchise record, a point that also leads the Major Leagues, and they scored 51 runs, which is the only one next to the Reds (57 ). Houston scored at least six runs in both but one game and outscored Oakland 41-11 in five games between American rivals in the Western League, all of which had Astros wins.
“This team can succeed, and they worked hard in Spring Training,” said Astros manager Dusty Baker. ‘I’ve never seen guys hit so hard. They strike the morning before exercise, they strike during exercise, they strike after exercise. … These guys, they like to hit. I had no expectations. I would like to see when the bottom of the order starts rolling. ”
Correa led the second innings with a homer on the opposite field to Oakland’s Cland Irvin appetizer, which slipped just in the first few rows of seats. In the ninth innings, he scored along with his two runs in the second innings, which Correa showed in consecutive innings, and was able to give the Astros a franchise record by going home in seven consecutive games to start a season. .
Alvarez, the 2019 award winner of the American League Rookie of the Year, who missed most of last season after surgeries on both knees, is 10-for-30 to start the season with two homers and eight RBIs. He led the sixth with a 405-foot blast to the second deck in Irvin’s right field that made it 3-0.
“I do not think we have seen our best yet,” Baker said. ‘[Alex] Bregman swings the bat better. Yordan, it’s he who probably exceeded expectations, because I did not know what to expect with his legs from Spring Training. It’s a good feeling to sign him up every day. ‘
Coming off a tough 2020 season, Altuve are 9-for-29 (.310) to start the year, hitting their first homer at Minute Maid Park before fans – and second overall at home – since his runoff blast to beat the Yankees in Game 6 of the 2019 AL Championship Series. This one, who traveled 426 feet, went to a similar part of the ball in the left midfield to lead the seventh.
“I hit the ball pretty well,” Altuve said. “I had a lot of energy through the game because the fans have been cheering for us since the first innings. That’s enough to motivate you and encourage you to go there and keep swinging with the bat. ”
If the bat swings, so are the Astros.