The Houston Astros defeated the Mariners 4-2 and took a 2-0 lead in the American League Division Series (ALDS) after Yordan Alvarez hit a two-run go-ahead homer, and the Astros bullpen pitched 3.1 scoreless innings.

Alvarez went 1 for 3 with two RBIs, a run scored, and a base on balls in Houston’s Game 2 victory on Thursday at Minute Maid Park. He also helped the Astros win Game 1 with a three-run walk-off homer on the same field on Tuesday.

In nine plate appearances in the 2022 ALDS, Alvarez — the 2021 ALCS MVP — is now hitting .500 (4 for 8), with two home runs and seven RBIs.

Kyle Tucker, another Astros outfielder, also homered in the win on Thursday. For the Astros, shortstop Jeremy Peña went 2 for 3 with two runs scored.

Over 5.2 innings, Astros starter Framber Valdez allowed four hits and two runs. The Mariners were shut out in the ninth inning by relief pitchers Héctor Neris, Bryan Abreu, Rafael Montero, and Ryan Pressly.

“They did a great job getting out of trouble, and Maldi [Martín Maldonado] did a great job directing them out of trouble,” Astros Skipper Dusty Baker told the Houston Chronicle. “That goes unnoticed sometimes.”

Explaining how it was done, Baker said, “The catcher really comes into play in that situation. He calms the pitcher down — know when to go to the mound, know when to call timeout, and putting down the right fingers.”

In the first inning, neither team had a hit. Tucker then hit a 370-foot solo home run in the bottom of the second inning.

The Astros led until the top of the fourth inning when Eugenio Suárez and Mitch Haniger scored for the Mariners. The Mariners held a one-run lead until Alvarez walked to the plate in the bottom of the sixth with two outs and a runner on.

Alvarez fouled off a sinker from Mariners starter Luis Castillo before belting the second pitch 371 feet into the leftfield stands for the game-winning homer.

Abreu and Montero pitched a perfect seventh inning, allowing no hits or runs. Montero walked one batter in the eighth inning but held the Mariners hitless.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Astros third baseman Alex Bregman drove in Pena with an RBI single. Montero was replaced at the top of the ninth by Pressly. He walked the first batter but then retired the next three Mariners batters to earn his first postseason save.

The Mariners will host the Astros in Game 3 of the best-of-five series on Saturday at 4:07 p.m. EDT.

In the other ALDS, the Yankees and Guardians were rained out in the Bronx.        

Friday, October 14

ALDS Game 2, CLE @ NYY, 1:07 p.m. (moved from Thursday)

NLDS Game 3, ATL @ PHI, 4:37 p.m.

NLDS Game 3, LAD @ SD, 8:37 p.m.

Saturday, October 15

NLDS Game 4, ATL @ PHI, 2:07 p.m.

ALDS Game 3, HOU @ SEA, 4:07 p.m.

ALDS Game 3, NYY @ CLE, 7:37 p.m.

NLDS Game 4, LAD @ SD, 9:37 p.m.

Sunday, October 16

ALDS Game 4, HOU @ SEA, 3:07 p.m. (if necessary)

NLDS Game 5, PHI @ ATL, 4:37 p.m. (if necessary)

ALDS Game 4, NYY @ CLE, 7:07 p.m. (if necessary)

NLDS Game 5, SD @ LAD, 9:07 p.m. (if necessary)