CLEVELAND – Jose Altuve ’s milestone night quickly shifted from memorable to messy.
Houston’s All-Star second baseman played in his 2,000th career game with the Astros on Tuesday, hitting a round number only reached by Hall of Famers Craig Biggio (2,850) and Jeff Bagwell (2,150) in club history.
The Astros were six outs from a second straight road win and celebrating Altuve’s accomplishment before their bullpen collapsed, as the Guardians scored six runs in the eighth inning to post an 8-5 victory.
It was hardly a vintage performance by the 35-year-old Altuve, who went 0-for-5 and struck out twice, including against Guardians closer Cade Smith for the final out.
But even after the loss, Astros manager Joe Espada had high praise for a player he reveres more than any other.
“He’s the same guy every day, man,” said Espada, who joined the Astros in 2018. “He’s coachable. He’s a superstar and he cares about his teammates. He cares about winning. He cares about our team, the organization as a whole, the fans.
“He’s genuine and it’s very special to be around him for nine years. I love being in that front-row seat and watching him reach all those milestones. He’s one of the best I’ve ever seen.”
Altuve did not make himself available to the media following game No. 2,000 of his career with Houston, which began in 2011. In the time since, the scrappy 5-foot-6 Venezuelan has grown into one of baseball’s best players.
A nine-time All-Star. A seven-time Silver Slugger winner. A three-time AL batting champion. A two-time World Series champion. A Gold Glove selection. An MVP.
Before the game, Espada described what separates Altuve from others.
“Discipline. Consistency. Preparation. Mindset. Toughness. Grit,” Espada said. “Only a few have done it in this organization. He’s a really damn good player.”
He wouldn’t get any argument from Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, who played against Altuve and now has to figure out how to stop him.
“Jose Altuve, what a tremendous player,” Vogt said. “Plays the game hard and is a pain in the butt to try and get out. Obviously, not running as much as he used to, but he caused a lot of problems for a really long time.
“He still does and still has got a lot of good ballplayer in him. But what he’s meant for the Astros organization, the AL West. I mean, there’s just so many good things to say about the player that Jose Altuve is.”
Along with moving into the same company with Biggio and Bagwell, Altuve is also just the fifth active player to reach the 2,000-game milestone, a distinction he shares with Andrew McCutchen, Carlos Santana, Freddie Freeman and Paul Goldschmidt.