Houston Astros 2B Jose Altuve records fourth four hit game of the season
By Mike Marteny
The historic season for Astros second baseman Jose Altuve continues. Today in the Astros 3-2 victory over the Texas Rangers, Altuve recorded his fourth four hit game of the season, and the eighth such game of his career.
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With those four hits, Altuve now extends his major league lead in hits to 189. The next closest to him is Toronto’s Melky Cabrera at 169.
His major league leading batting average also climbed to .336, which is nine points higher than Detroit’s Victor Martinez.
Altuve now needs just 22 more hits to break the franchise hits record of 210 set by Craig Biggio in 1998. Jeff Bagwell‘s franchise best .368 batting average in the strike-shortened 1994 season does appear to be safe from Altuve’s wrath, however.
The game began innocently enough for Altuve. In his first at-bat, he hit a harmless fly ball to center field. I guess he decided that he didn’t like the feeling of not being on base very much, so he did it every other time at the plate.
He hit a two out double to left in the third inning, and advanced as far as third base before the side was retired. Altuve added another double in the fifth, and was also stranded when Chris Carter struck out to end the inning. He added a single in the seventh, but the Astros left the bases loaded, and stranded Jose once again.
Altuve saved his best for last though. He drove in the game winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning when his single plated Jake Marisnick.
Chad Qualls closed out the come from behind victory for the Astros to earn his 16th save.