HOUSTON -- Astros All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve is swinging the bat so well these days that when he is held to "only" two hits, it's a topic of conversation in the postgame news conference.
"He drew a walk, too," chuckled manager A.J. Hinch after his team clobbered the Twins, 10-5, on Friday in the first game after the All-Star break.
Altuve's streak of games with three hits came to an end at five following his 2-for-4 night.
"It's funny," Hinch said. "When our guys don't get a couple of hits, we get a little bit nervous, but I think he'll be in the lineup tomorrow."
Altuve, who on Friday was named American League Player of the Week for July 3-9, finished one hit shy of tying the Major League record for consecutive three-hit games (held by George Brett and Jimmy Johnston). He flied out to right field in the first, drew a walk and scored in the second, singled in the third, doubled in the fifth and flied out to right in the seventh.
"I wanted it, but you know I didn't get it," Altuve said. "We won the game. I got two hits, I helped my team, and this is what's it's all about. It's good to have personal records, but it's better to have records as a team."
Altuve, who leads the Majors with a .349 batting average and the American League with 118 hits, is batting .607 with two homers and 10 RBIs in his last six games.