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Despite a defeat to Seattle on Sunday with a final score of 6-4, the Houston Astros proved their mettle this weekend by winning two out of three games against the Mariners. With these victories, the Astros have surged to the top of the AL West standings, now narrowly leading the Mariners with a record of 52-47, just a notch above Seattle’s 53-48.
In particular, Sunday’s match was highlighted by an impressive performance from Yordan Alvarez, who achieved his first career cycle. Alvarez kicked off his noteworthy game by hitting a single against Bryan Woo, following it up with a home run in the fourth inning. He continued his hit parade with a triple off Tayler Saucedos in the sixth and wrapped up with a double against Gregory Santos in the eighth, contributing two RBIs to the game.
Notably, this game also saw a concerning moment for the Mariners when Julio Rodríguez collided with a wall chasing Alvarez’s triple. Rodríguez appeared to injure his right ankle and was down on the field for a few moments before managing to walk off, albeit with a limp. Subsequent X-rays were negative, but Rodríguez is currently listed as day-to-day with more tests pending.
Alvarez’s impressive feat marked the 10th cycle in Astros’ history, the first since José Altuve’s cycle in Boston last year, and only the second cycle to occur at T-Mobile Park—the first being achieved by Miguel Tejeda of the Oakland Athletics back in 2001.
This season has now seen its second cycle, following a cycle completed by Texas Rangers rookie Wyatt Langford earlier against the Baltimore Orioles. Historically, recent full 162-game seasons have witnessed at least four cycles, and 2024 has now recorded two.
Looking ahead, the Astros and Mariners will face off for one final series this year, slated for September 23-25 at Minute Maid Park. This upcoming series may well prove critical, positioned as it is during the penultimate week of the 2024 season.