Altuve clips Cards with homer in Astros' 5-run 8th

ST. LOUIS -- Leave it to Jose Altuve to come to the Astros’ rescue when they needed it the most on Wednesday night.

After missing the previous two games while recovering from a right heel injury, Altuve bashed a three-run go-ahead homer to spearhead a five-run eighth inning against Cardinals reliever Giovanny Gallegos as the Astros erased a three-run deficit in a much-needed 10-7 win at Busch Stadium.

“I know I've been hurt quite a bit this year, and I’m really trying to stay healthy on the field and play to help this team to win,” Altuve said. “The days I had off, I was doing a lot of homework, trying to get back to where I want to be with my swing and my timing.

“I had a good game today, and it’s great for me and my team.”

Altuve, who missed the first 43 games of the season after fracturing his right thumb and was out of the lineup a few days in May with an oblique injury, reached base five times, going 2-for-3 with three walks (the Astros tied a season high with eight walks).

Altuve improved his career average to .383 against St. Louis -- the highest among all active players.

“We all know the type of player that Altuve is,” first baseman José Abreu said. “Everybody here knows it. Obviously, he has a lot of respect for the guys here and around the league. That is what I expect from him.”

Altuve said he spent his time out of the lineup studying video of his at-bats from earlier in the season, paying attention to when things were going well and things weren’t. The goal was to get his timing down, and his first-pitch-of-the-game double on Wednesday was an indication the timing was there.

“I think baseball is a game of adjusting every day and that’s what I’m trying to do,” Altuve said. “It just paid off today.”

Astros starter Cristian Javier gave up four first-inning runs, squandering a 3-0 lead, as St. Louis raced to a 6-3 lead. But a two-run double by catcher Martín Maldonado in the sixth cut the lead to one, and Altuve turned on a 1-2 fastball in the eighth for a homer that put Houston ahead, 8-7.

“I got [Alex] Bregman, who’s a great hitter, especially with men in scoring position, behind me, so I wasn't really trying to do too much,” Altuve said. “If I get one [run home], I knew for sure he would get the second one. I got my good pitch to hit and I hit it out of the ballpark.

“That was a great momentum for us, and Abreu coming through with another big homer and we ended up winning that game.”

Abreu added a two-run homer to cap the five-run outburst for the Astros, who improved to 3-26 when trailing after seven innings. Abreu, who recorded his 900th career RBI with a first-inning sac fly, is slashing .292/.305/.517 with five homers and 19 RBIs in June after a woeful first two months to the season, giving manager Dusty Baker hope the slugger has finally turned the corner.

“He’s right in the middle [of the lineup],” Baker said. “I’ve been told by everybody who played with him and who managed him, they all told me when he starts swinging, it’s a sight to see.

“His average isn’t indicative of how he’s been in June. He’s got five or six home runs and I don't know how many ribbies in June, and he’s not even hot yet.”

After Javier gave up six runs and eight hits in four innings in his second consecutive rocky start, the Astros’ bullpen held the Cardinals to three hits and one run in the final five innings. Seth Martinez, Bryan Abreu and closer Ryan Pressly combined to retire the final eight St. Louis batters.

“The score doesn’t necessarily indicate how well our bullpen did,” Baker said. “To come back here in St. Louis, we needed a comeback win for our own confidence and everybody else’s confidence. Abreu is starting to heat up. It’s good to see.”