Altuve's 250th home run was predictably hit at Yankee Stadium.

If not in Houston, where else could José Altuve hit his 250th career home run? Certainly at Yankee Stadium.

In the first inning of today's game, this Astros star—infamous in the Bronx—stepped into the batter's box, greeted by the usual boos. Just as he did two days ago, Altuve swung at the first pitch. Before the outdoor crowd could finish their signature roll call, Altuve launched a fastball from Max Fried over the left field wall for a solo shot.

This milestone home run gave the Astros a strong start in the series finale. Jason Alexander then threw six innings of one-hit ball, leading Houston to a decisive 7-1 victory in the Bronx, wrapping up their nine-game, three-city road trip.

The Astros returned home with a 66-52 record, still leading the Mariners in the AL West.

“We knew we were up against a good team when we came here, and it was important to win two out of three,” Altuve said.

As always, Altuve was the center of attention. He became the 11th second baseman in MLB history to hit 250 career home runs (with at least 50% of games played at second base). This star-studded group is led by four Hall of Famers—Rogers Hornsby, Joe Gordon, Joe Morgan, and Ryne Sandberg.

“Everything he does and the frequency with which he does it is incredible,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “And he always comes through in the most critical moments.”

It seems these critical moments always occur against the Yankees. The nine-time All-Star has hit 19 home runs in his career against the Bombers, including playoffs, which ties for fifth-most against any team. He has helped the Astros eliminate the Yankees from the playoffs four times, most memorably in 2019 when he hit a walk-off home run off Aroldis Chapman to send Houston to the World Series.

Altuve enjoyed the moment. As Carlos Correa hinted two days ago, maybe the visiting fans should create a mellow spring training atmosphere, as the boos don’t seem to work: Altuve has now hit nine home runs at Yankee Stadium in his career.

“Being able to swing like that brings a lot of momentum,” rookie Cam Smith said.

Altuve went 2-for-3 with two walks, reaching base four times in five plate appearances. He helped Houston knock Fried out of the game after just five innings, attacking the All-Star lefty aggressively, forcing him to throw 95 pitches and allowing four runs in a tough outing.

“I think we had a great overall approach at the plate,” Espada said. “The guys at the bottom of the lineup did well, setting the tone for the top of the order. We got some key hits. Everyone contributed.”

This is another positive sign for the Astros' batting lineup, which is starting to become whole again. Correa added two hits, including a home run in the ninth inning. Jesús Sánchez had a tough at-bat in the fifth inning, working the count full against a lefty, then getting hit by a pitch to reach base. Shortly after, Smith, who had a .145 batting average since the All-Star break, drove in two runs with a double on a 2-2 count.

“Everyone is starting to talk about what it takes to win as a team,” Espada said.

Today's victory began with Alexander. The 32-year-old took the mound in the sixth inning knowing he had thrown a no-hitter, but he tried hard not to think about it.

“I didn’t want to get too caught up in it,” Alexander recalled of his mindset. “Even in the sixth inning, there was still a long way to go. I wasn’t worried about the no-hitter. I just wanted to make sure our team won.”

Alexander put the Astros in a great position to win, allowing only a opposite-field single to Ben Rice in the sixth inning. In his last two starts, Alexander has thrown 12 scoreless innings, allowing just four hits.

“What a great road trip for Jason Alexander,” Espada said. “... He’s willing to challenge hitters. He can throw all his pitches at any count. He stays calm. Two important wins.”

The atmosphere of today's game was different from the previous two nights, which felt more like a playoff environment. The 43,658 fans in attendance had little to cheer about—Altuve sent a ball into the left field stands on the fourth pitch of the game, and Alexander easily handled the opposition.

“We all feel really good as a team,” Altuve said. “It seems like everything is coming together perfectly.”