After stunningly dropping both home games, the Houston Astros recovered in Game 3 to beat the Texas Rangers 8-5 in Game 3 of the ALCS on Wednesday.
Maurico Dubon led Houston going 3-for-4 at the plate with one RBI while Yordan Alvarez went 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
Josh Jung gave the Rangers hope with two-run home runs in both the fifth and seventh innings, but Houston's bats proved much more efficient thanks to an all-around effort.
Just as Texas got off to a hot start in Game 2 with a four-run first inning, this time Houston took the baton.
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The Astros seized a 3-0 lead in the second inning thanks to a struggling Max Scherzer. The veteran pitcher threw a wild pitch that saw Alvarez score before a Martin Maldonado single to left permitted Kyle Tucker and Mauricio Dubon to follow suit.
Then Jose Altuve came alive for the first time in the series. He sent Scherzer's fastball deep to left center field for a solo home run to make it 4-0.
It marked Altuve's 25th-career postseason home run. Only Manny Ramirez, who logged 29, has more in MLB postseason history.
Houston added a fifth in the fourth inning when Dubon's deep single to center saw Jose Abreu run home, but Texas responded in the ensuing inning.
Facing a 1-2 count, Jung sent Cristian Javier's slider 389 feet to right center field for a double home run. Nathaniel Lowe, who was on first base, helped make it 5-2.
The Astros nearly ballooned their lead in the sixth inning when Alvarez blasted a Cody Bradford slider to center, but Leody Taveras sensationally robbed a should-be homer.
Alvarez eventually got vengeance in his next at-bat, though. With the bases loaded and facing a 2-2 count, the 26-year-old singled to center off Will Smith and Altuve and Maldonado rounded home.
Deja vu then struck in the seventh when Jung logged another double homer with Lowe on first base, but Houston quickly erased his efforts in the next inning with Tucker scoring off a Jeremy Pena single to make it 8-4.
It came down to the bottom of the ninth, but top closer Ryan Pressly logged another save after ending the game getting a double-play out on Jung and Travis Jankowski.
The Rangers still have a chance to close out the series at home in the next two games. Game 4 from Globe Life Field is set to start Thursday at 8:03 p.m. ET.
