Max Scherzer shelled on return as Astros beat Rangers in Game 3 of ALCS

Jose Altuve homered, Cristian Javier worked his way into the sixth inning of another solid postseason start and the Houston Astros defeated the Texas Rangers 8-5 on Wednesday night to close at 2-1 in the AL Championship Series.

Texas lost for the first time this postseason after a 7-0 start. Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer was gone after four innings in his first appearance in more than a month after recovering from a strained shoulder muscle.

Javier set a franchise record for the defending champion Astros by extending his postseason scoreless streak to 20 and a third innings. That streak ended in the fifth when rookie Josh Jung hit the first of his pair of two-run homers.

Javier improved to 4-0 in his four career postseason starts, allowing just five hits.

“I always try to have the same mentality. These moments are extremely special for me,” he said through an interpreter. “When it comes to the game, just try to stay focused, try to attack the strike zone.”

Javier, a 26-year-old Dominican right-hander known as “El Reptil,” limited the Rangers to two runs and three hits over five and two-thirds innings in his second win of these playoffs. He threw 51 of 85 pitches for strikes.

Third reliever Ryan Pressly scored the ninth for his third save of the playoffs, setting up Jung’s game-ending, double-play grounder.

Martín Maldonado, the catcher who wore reptile skin spikes in reference to his pitcher’s nickname, and Yordan Alvarez both had two-run singles for the Astros, who scored five runs with two outs.

Jung hit his second two-run homer in the seventh for the wildcard Rangers, who played only their second home game this postseason. They defeated Tampa Bay and Baltimore – the AL’s top two teams in the regular season – to reach their first ALCS since 2011 and their first postseason series against their current AL West rivals.

Game 4 is Thursday evening and Game 5 is Friday afternoon.

The Astros are 40-45 at home this year and have lost three of four in the playoffs. But they have won 17 of their last 20 road games, including both at Minnesota in the AL Division Series and three during a record-breaking sweep at Globe Life Field in early September, when they homered 16 times and defeated Texas 39-10.

“It’s the strangest thing I’ve ever seen because usually you want to be .500 on the road and well above .500 at home,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “I asked the team during spring training to be the best road team. Maybe I should have asked them to be the best home and away team. They usually give me what I ask for.”

Philadelphia, which was swept in three games at Globe Life Field to open the season, has a 2-0 lead in the NLCS, which resumes Thursday in Arizona.

The Rangers trailed after just one of the previous 64 innings this postseason until a three-run second that put Houston ahead to stay.

Alvarez was hit by a 90-mph cutter on his left foot to start that frame. Struggling Kyle Tucker walked and Mauricio Dubón loaded the bases with a single. Alvarez came home when Scherzer bounced a wild pitch off Jonah Heim’s glove and Maldonado, the No. 9 hitter, followed with his big hit.

Altuve, who went deep five times in that September series, homered to lead off the third. José Abreu doubled on the first pitch in the fourth and scored a single by Dubón for a 5-0 lead.

When Scherzer reached the dugout and stopped on the steps after those consecutive Ks, there was a brief exchange with manager Bruce Bochy, who at one point gestured toward the Rangers bullpen in right center.

“He’ll be a little rusty, it’s been a month since he’s been there. But overall I was very pleased with the stuff,” Bochy said. ‘He’s only getting better. But they just made some mistakes there, they got the big two-out hit early, the wild pitch and then the two-out hit.”

Bochy said that, most importantly, Scherzer felt great after the outing.

The 39-year-old Scherzer, a trade deadline acquisition from the Mets, gave up five runs and five hits.

Scherzer was dealing with forearm tightness six weeks ago when he allowed seven runs — all on three homers — over three innings in the Astros’ 12-3 victory that closed the September series. He pitched five and a third scoreless innings six days later on September 12 in Toronto before going on the injured list due to the shoulder strain.

Javier was ready after rookie Evan Carter’s hard two-out liner went right in the sixth, a ball that sailed over Tucker’s head and into the wall after being misplayed into a double by the Gold Glove finalist. Hector Neris then replaced Javier, and the inning ended with a defensive gem.

Left fielder Michael Brantley, a 36-year-old five-time All-Star who returned in August after missing fourteen months with a shoulder injury, sprinted more than 80 feet to make a diving catch in the gap and take an extra base hit away from Adolis Garcia.

That still might not have been the best defensive play of the night.

Alvarez was robbed of what would have been his seventh home run this postseason on a 400-foot drive to center heading into the sixth. Leody Taveras made a leaping catch with his arm extended over the wall.