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The Seattle Mariners opened the matchup against the Houston Astros by hitting Jose Altuve with a pitch, but Altuve got the last laugh. It is not certain if the Mariners hit Altuve intentionally, but there are theories that it was in retaliation for the pitch that injured Julio Rodriguez. Regardless of whether or not it was intentional, it was the Astros who benefited.
The play involved the successful stealing of two bases, with the throw to second allowing Jose Altuve to take home plate. A video of the play was posted to Twitter by the Houston Astros, along with a small jab at the Mariners in the caption.
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It did not take long for Astros fans to mock the Mariners. As the top two teams in the American League West, it only makes sense that their rivalry is intense.
Altuve may have had to take some punishment to score the first run of the game, but he would be the first to say it was worth it.
The Seattle Mariners are an up-and-coming team looking to achieve postseason success for the first time in over 20 years.
The Astros have proven to be one of the top teams in the league this year, and their fanbase did not take this sequence lightly. While it may have turned out in their favor, things could have gone a lot worse for the Astros. If Altuve had gotten injured when he was hit by the pitch, the response would have been a lot uglier.
The Mariners have spent a long time as lovable underdogs, making the hatred by another fanbase somewhat surprising.
Jose Altuve and the Houston Astros continue to pull away from the Seattle Mariners
With a 11-game lead over the Seattle Mariners in the AL West, the Houston Astros are poised for another division win. Despite how great the Mariners have been in recent weeks, they still trail the ever-consistent Astros. This is due in no small part to the veteran leadership of Jose Altuve.
Jose Altuve's resiliancy shone through in this sequence. Instead of allowing being hit to affect his game, he regained his focus and put his team on the board with the first run of the game.
