Altuve's wheels (bunt, 300th SB) keep Astros rolling in pivotal 7th

HOUSTON -- Astros second baseman Jose Altuve is showing no signs of slowing down.

Literally.

Altuve, who turns 34 years old in three days, displayed his elite speed during the Astros’ wild rally in the seventh inning on Friday night, during which they scored four times for a come-from-behind 5-3 win over the Mariners at Minute Maid Park.

Houston stormed back to win a game when trailing after six innings for the first time this season -- after going 0-for-13 entering Friday -- as the Astros recorded their fifth win over the past six games. Three of those victories have come against teams with division leads in the American League.

“We’ve been on the opposite sides of games like those, it felt like, the first couple of weeks of the season,” manager Joe Espada said. “It feels good to come back and win a game like that. So many people contributed to that game.”

There was Ronel Blanco delivering his fifth quality start in six outings, key walks in the seventh by Alex Bregman and Jake Meyers, and Josh Hader working the ninth for his third save in a Houston uniform. But where would the Astros be without Altuve?

Altuve drove in the go-ahead run with a two-out squeeze bunt that scored Meyers, and proceeded to swipe second base for the 300th steal of his career. He wound up scoring an insurance run on a bases-loaded walk by Bregman as Houston sent 10 batters to the plate in the seventh, five of whom walked.

"I've got to give Altuve credit,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “Altuve has beaten us in a lot of different ways. He's never beaten us with a bunt before, you know what I mean? He's just a heads-up player and he executed a play late in the game after we gave them the opportunity to put them in that position, and they took advantage of it."

Trailing 3-1 in the seventh, the Astros had the bases loaded and one out when Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh tried to pick off Jeremy Pe?a at third base and threw the ball into left field. Mauricio Dubón drove in Yainer Diaz with a sac fly to tie it before Altuve dropped down his bunt that scored Meyers to put Houston ahead.

Altuve said he noticed Mariners third baseman Josh Rojas playing back and decided to take a shot to get the run home. He went down the first-base line at 31.0 feet per second -- his fastest sprint speed in any situation (regular or postseason, and as hitter or baserunner or fielder) since Oct. 22, 2022.

“I felt like we needed this game and it was a must-win for us, so I wanted to take the chance,” Altuve said.

With 300 stolen bases, Altuve joined Derek Jeter, Paul Molitor, Willie Mays and Roberto Alomar as the only players in MLB history with 2,000 hits, 400 doubles, 200 homers and 300 steals.

“All Hall of Famers,” Espada said. “You know where he’s going.”

Pe?a, 26, said his teammates give Altuve a hard time when they see he’s still able to pull off an elite sprint speed, but said he marvels at what he’s able to do considering he’s eight years older than him.

“I can speak from what I’ve seen since I’ve been here,” Pe?a said. “Hard worker. He’s done everything you can do in the game and he still shows up like he hasn’t done anything. He still shows up like he’s a rookie. I admire the way he plays the game, I admire the way he carries himself and it’s great to be his teammate.”

The seventh-inning rally may have been for nothing had the Astros not been able to pull off a wild double play to end the eighth. With Mitch Haniger flying out to left field and runners at second and third, the Astros tagged out Rojas after a frantic rundown that was scored 9-2-1-4-6-2.

“You get out of it, everybody’s smiling,” said reliever Ryan Pressly, who was on the mound. “You don’t get out of it, everybody is yelling at you. Again. It’s not the way we drew it up, but a zero’s a zero.”