HOUSTON (AP) — Astros manager Dusty Baker considered giving Yordan Álvarez another day off after he sat out one game with a minor hand injury.
But the slugger told Baker he was ready, so Álvarez was penciled into the lineup Tuesday night.
“And ready he was,” Baker said.
Álvarez hit a two-run homer and Kyle Tucker had three RBIs to give Houston an 8-2 win over the New York Mets in an interleague matchup between two of the top teams in the majors.
The Astros trail only the Yankees in the American League, and the Mets top the National League standings.
Jose Altuve and José Siri added solo home runs for Houston in the first meeting between the teams since the Astros swept a three-game series in September 2017.
It was the first of nine straight games against the Mets and Yankees for the Astros, with visits to both New York teams on deck during their road trip that follows Wednesday’s series finale. After that, Houston hosts the Yankees for one game June 30 to help make up a series scrapped because of the lockout.
Houston led 3-0 after Altuve and Álvarez, who missed Sunday’s game with a hand injury, connected off starter Trevor Williams in the third inning. Tucker’s three-run double highlighted a four-run fifth that extended the lead to 7-0.
José Urquidy (6-3) allowed four hits and a run in six innings for the win. Urquidy, who walked one, threw a career-high 104 pitches.
“The location was good, and he had a very good breaking ball and changeup,” Baker said. “And the location is the key.”
Pete Alonso hit his NL-leading 20th home run in the sixth and Eduardo Escobar added a solo shot in the seventh for the Mets, who went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position.
Williams (1-4) yielded four hits and three runs over four…