ARLINGTON, Texas – For Jose Altuve, the first 100 career playoff games are in the books. Just how far into the next century of games might he advance?The Houston Astros stalwart got started on that Friday, with Game 5 of the American League Championship Series at Globe Life Field. Altuve and the Astros are a decade removed from losing 110 games, with almost uninterrupted success since.At 33, Altuve looks as viable in the postseason environment as ever: He had three hits in Houston’s 10-3 Game 4 victory and has five hits in his last nine at-bats. Thanks in part to the ever-increasing catalogue of postseason games, he is near the top of almost every offensive category.His three runs scored in Game 4 moved him past Bernie Williams into second in playoff history; he has a ways to go for his 85 runs to catch all-time leader Derek Jeter’s 111. Altuve is also second in career home runs, with 25 and fourth in hits (112) and extra-base hits (45).Altuve is signed through 2024, and the Astros show little sign of slowing.“I’m just thankful to be here to play that many playoff games,” says Altuve Friday before Game 5. “And, yes, I’m with some hits and homers and individual stats (leaders) in playoffs, but every time you can play you’re thinking about winning.“I can say the stats means something because you’re helping the team, but it’s not the highlight at the end of the day. It’s about winning.”Plenty of that, too. Only Braves pitchers Tom Glavine and John Smoltz have appeared in seven consecutive League Championship Series, as Altuve and third baseman Alex Bregman have. The Astros are two victories from a fifth World Series appearance in this run.It’s gone quickly – and keeps going quickly, too fast for Altuve to reflect.“You can ask me again after the whole thing is over,” he says about his most memorable moments in this stretch. Maybe I’ll have a better answer. I’m just enjoying everything.”Follow along for live updates from Game 5 of the ALCS:Astros jump out to early lead in first inningARLINGTON, Texas – For the third consecutive game, the Texas Rangers will face an early-inning deficit at their home ballpark. Does that mean a third loss in this ALCS is in the cards?Houston’s No. 3 hitter Alex Bregman smacked a home run into the left field seats on left-hander Jordan Montgomery’s fifth pitch of Game 4, and the Astros took a 1-0 lead before handing the ball to Justin Verlander for his 38th postseason start.The pattern is familiar.The Astros led 3-0 after two innings of Game 3 and one inning of Game 4 and took both, erasing a 2-0 ALCS deficit. Today’s winner seizes the all-important 3-2 advantage before the series heads downstate to Houston for Game 6 on Saturday.The Astros pick up where they left off last night. Bregman gets them ahead in the 1st.As a team, Houston hit .282 on fastballs in the regular season, 4th best in MLB. pic.twitter.com/s22JbPSY2I— Inside Edge (@IE_MLB) October 20, 2023— Gabe LacquesHow to watch Astros vs. Rangers: Time, TV channelGame 5 on Friday is scheduled to begin at 5:07 p.m. ET airing on Fox Sports 1Astros’ Yordan Alvarez is ‘best hitter in the world’ARLINGTON, Texas — In eight postseason games, Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez is now batting .419 (13 for 31), reaching base at a .471 clip, and has driven in 13 runs. It won’t appear on his playoff game log, but let the record reflect that the hitters in front and behind him in the lineup combined to drive in five runs.And after getting shut out 2-0 in Game 1 of this ALCS, the Astros have scored four, eight and 10 runs in their next three games. The swagger is back, largely because of their cleanup hitter who often moves in silence but might give Bryce Harper a run as the most impactful hitter in the game.“Alvarez is on fire right now. And he’s the best hitter in the world,” says outfielder Chas McCormick, whose third career postseason home run gave Houston a 9-3 lead. “So when our guy’s going, and we get Altuve going and Jose Abreu going, we’re one of the best teams in the world.“Having Alvarez hit like he’s been hitting, nothing can stop us right now.”Astros vs. Rangers lineups, probable pitchers for ALCS Game 5Houston AstrosStarting pitcher: RHP Justin Verlander – 13-8, 2.28 ERA regular season; 1.42 in 12 ⅔ innings postseasonJose Altuve (R) 2BMauricio Dubon (R) CFAlex Bregman (R) 3BYordan Alvarez (L) DHJose Abreu (R) 1BKyle Tucker (L) RFChas McCormick (R) LFJeremy Peña (R) SSMartin Maldonado (R) CTexas RangersStarting pitcher: LHP Jordan Montgomery – 10-11, 3.20 ERA regular season; 2-0, 2.08 ERA in 17⅓ innings postseasonMarcus Semien (R) 2BCorey Seager (L) SSEvan Carter (L) LFAdolis Garcia (R) RFLeody Taveras (S) CFJosh Jung (R) 3BNathaniel Lowe (L) 1BMitch Garver (R) DHJonah Heim (S) CThis article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Astros vs. Rangers live score: Houston up early in ALCS Game 5

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