Alvarez went 2-for-4 with a home run and a walk in Tuesday's 10-6 loss against the Pirates.
After Jeremy Pena opened the game with a leadoff walk, Alvarez quickly put Houston ahead by crushing a two-run homer off Bubba Chandler in the first inning. He later added an RBI single in the ninth to cap off another productive night at the plate. The homer was Alvarez's 21st of the season, leaving him just one behind Kyle Schwarber for the MLB lead. Following a scorching series against Texas last week in which he homered five times in three games, Alvarez had cooled off somewhat lately, but Tuesday's performance was a reminder of the elite power he possesses. The 28-year-old is now batting .305 with a ridiculous 1.064 OPS, 12 doubles, 42 RBI, 40 runs scored and one stolen base across 267 plate appearances.