Altuve's homer lifts Astros to sweep Rangers, take AL West lead

HOUSTON (AP) — Jose Altuve hit a two-run home run and Jeremy Peña homered and doubled to help the Houston Astros complete a three-game sweep of the Texas Rangers with a 5-2 win Wednesday night.

The victory coupled with Seattle’s loss to Kansas City moves the Astros 1/2 game ahead of the Mariners for first place in the AL West.

The game was tied 2-2 when Carlos Correa singled to start the third. Altuve’s home run off Jacob deGrom (12-8) to the seats in left field put the Astros on top 4-2. Altuve has 37 homers and 100 RBIs in his career against the Rangers, which are his most against any team.

Peña connected off deGrom on his home run to the first row in right field to start Houston’s fifth and push the lead to 5-2.

Cristian Javier (2-3) allowed five hits and two runs in six strong innings for the win in his seventh start after missing more than a year recovering from Tommy John surgery. Bryan King pitched a scoreless ninth for his second save.

DeGrom yielded six hits and tied a season-high with five runs. He lasted just five innings after the Astros forced him to throw 35 pitches in the first.

Peña hit a leadoff double before a single by Correa. There were two outs in the inning when Yainer Diaz’s single scored them both to give Houston an early lead.

Alejandro Osuna singled with one out in the second and stole second base. The Rangers cut the lead to 2-1 on an RBI double by Josh Jung. Cody Freeman singled with two outs to send Jung home and tie it.

The Rangers went 2 for 8 with runners in scoring position as they lost their fourth straight game.

Altuve’s home run that put Houston up for good.

The win gives the Astros a 7-6 advantage in the season series against the Rangers. They’ve won the series, called the Silver Boot, every year since 2017.

Both teams are off Thursday before Texas hosts the opener of a three-game series against Miami on Friday night and the Mariners come to Houston to start a key division series that night.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena (3) misses the catch as Texas Rangers' Wyatt Langford, right, safely steals second base during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom throws against the Houston Astros during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

Houston Astros starting pitcher Cristian Javier throws against the Texas Rangers during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

Houston Astros' Carlos Correa, left, and Jeremy Pena, right, celebrate the solo home run by Pena against the Texas Rangers during the fifth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

Houston Astros' Jose Altuve swings on his two run home run against the Texas Rangers during the third inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

TURIN, Italy--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 19, 2026--

Reply [EXM, STAR: REY] is among the first NVIDIA partners in the world to achieve the “ Physical AI Specialization ” within the NVIDIA Partner Network (NPN), in recognition of its expertise in developing and deploying AI-driven robotics and digital twin solutions for real-world operating environments. The specialization was awarded following a technical assessment covering a customer implementation, solution architecture, certified OpenUSD expertise and Reply’s development roadmap.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261019881053/en/

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As an official Service Delivery Partner within the NVIDIA Partner Network, Reply combines NVIDIA technologies with Roboverse Reply’s expertise in robotics, reality capture, digital twins and sensor integration to support enterprise clients across the full lifecycle of Physical AI projects – from simulation and AI training to system integration, production rollout and scaling. By connecting virtual development with physical operations, this approach helps companies introduce robotics more systematically, reduce implementation risks and extend successful solutions across sites and complex industrial environments.

Reply
Reply [EXM, STAR: REY, ISIN: IT0005282865] specialises in designing and implementing solutions based on new communication channels and digital media. Structured as a network of highly specialised companies, Reply supports leading European industrial groups in sectors such as Telco & Media, Industry and Services, Banking and Insurance, and Public Administration, helping define and develop business models enabled by new paradigms such as AI, Cloud Computing, Digital Media, and the Internet of Things. Reply’s services include Consulting, System Integration, and Digital Services. www.reply.com

Reply is among the first NVIDIA partners in the world to achieve the “Physical AI Specialization” within the NVIDIA Partner Network (NPN), in recognition of its expertise in developing and deploying AI-driven robotics and digital twin solutions for real-world operating environments.