SAN DIEGO — During a week wrecked by mindless frustration about Fernando Tatis Jr. swinging in a 3-0 count, Jose Altuve harbored no apprehension. His team had Rockies starter German Marquez on the ropes by the second inning. Altuve arrived with two runs already in and runners standing on second and third. Marquez sandwiched two subpar sliders around a low fastball.
Only two of Altuve’s previous 109 plate appearances had reached a 3-0 count. He did not swing in either case. Both resulted in walks. But if any man in the Astros lineup deserves a 3-0 green-light, it is Altuve. Manager Dusty Baker granted it, even mindful of Altuve’s abysmal beginning to this season.
Marquez left a four-seam fastball on the lower-half of the strike zone. Altuve annihilated it into the left center field gap. Both runs scored. Altuve ambled into second base. The double was his first extra-base hit since Aug. 6.
Houston’s dugout greeted the occasion with cheers. Baker began most of his recent mornings with prayers for Altuve while he was mired in the slump. Teammates adore Altuve and express it openly, but understand the struggles he continues to endure. They applaud results when they arrive.
“Everyone here is pulling for Jose every time he comes up there,” Baker said. “I’m sure Jose should be proud of himself for the way he’s battled back, but he still has a ways to go to get off that interstate and back to the 200s and march toward the 300s.”
Altuve’s journey to salvaging his season remains lengthy. Two games in Colorado seemed, at the very least, a start. He finished Thursday’s game 2 for 5. He supplied two singles in Wednesday’s 13-6 win, too, marking the first time all season Altuve has posted two straight games with multiple hits.
Altuve added two more singles during Friday’s loss against the Padres, pushing his batting average above .200 for the first time since July 28. The six-time All-Star second baseman entered Saturday’s game on a 6 for 14 hot streak, the sort of tear that usually arrives when Altuve is nearing a breakout.
“I feel better lately,” Altuve said after Thursday’s game. “I’ve been working to get my swing back, and I’ve felt really good the last two games.”
Altuve’s cumulative numbers remain ghastly. His OPS is .575 and his batting average is .202. Three games and six hits will not undo a month’s worth of misery.
But with the lineup now missing Yordan Alvarez and Alex Bregman, the mere appearance that Altuve may be snapping out of his horrific start is encouraging.
After Altuve asked to move down in the lineup during the last homestand, Baker moved the six-time All-Star back into the second spot in the batting order on Wednesday. Baker said that Altuve didn’t like hitting there. Altuve acknowledged on Thursday that he’s more comfortable hitting near the top of the order.
“Getting him back in the two-hole, it seems like he’s kind of turned the page right now,” outfielder Josh Reddick said Friday. “As much as we need anybody, we need him at the top of the lineup driving in runs and producing runs scored for us. Hopefully, this little series he had in Denver was something that can get him out of it.”
On Thursday, Altuve said he’s focusing on hitting the ball up the middle. He smacked a single up the middle off Marquez in the fifth. It carried a 105.1 mph exit velocity — the sort of hard contact that represents another sign of Altuve’s possible emergence.
“I’ve been feeling really good because we’ve been winning games,” Altuve said. “At the same time, you want to help your team. I’ve been working behind the scenes to get my rhythm back, get my hitting back and score some runs for the boys.”
chandler.rome@chron.com
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Astros excited about Jose Altuve’s seeming resurgence - Houston Chronicle
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