Express' Alvarez homers on four-hit night

Trailing in the seventh inning, Triple-A Round Rock needed a big hit. Yordan Alvarez was there to deliver.
The Astros' third-ranked prospect smacked a go-ahead two-run homer and doubled twice on a four-hit night, driving in three runs and scoring four times as the Express rallied for an 11-7 victory over New Orleans on Saturday night at Dell Diamond.

With his team down, 8-7, Alvarez sent a 1-2 pitch from reliever Dylan Lee over the right-center field wall. It was his 11th homer of the season, keeping him tied with Reno's Kevin Cron for the Pacific Coast League lead.
Those 11 home runs already have him more than halfway to his single-season high of 20, set last year with Double-A Corpus Christi (12) and Triple-A Fresno (8).
Round Rock hitting coach Ben Rosenthal has always seen the pop in Alvarez's bat.
"I know he has always had the power," he said. "It's always been there but he's making small improvements to maximize it."
Gameday box score
MLB.com's No. 41 overall prospect got the Express on the board in the first, ripping a double to center to score Derek Fisher. Alvarez scored three pitches later as second-ranked Astros prospect Kyle Tucker smacked a three-run homer to center to make it 4-0.
After grounding out in the third, the Cuba native doubled to left-center in the fifth, scoring on a single by Taylor Jones. He finished the night with a single in the eighth, crossing the plate on a double by Nick Tanielu to give Round Rock an 11-7 cushion.
"He has a good approach at the plate," Rosenthal said. "He pays attention to how guys are pitching to him. If they got him out an inning before, he reviews the at-bat."
It was Alvarez's third career four-hit game and first since Aug. 10, 2017, with Class A Advanced Buies Creek. The left fielder has gotten off to a torrid start, batting .361 with 29 RBIs and 19 runs scored. He leads the PCL in slugging (.903) and ranks third in OPS (1.326).
Tucker, ranked seventh overall by MLB.com, finished with two hits and three RBIs. 
"Believe it or not, he's not doing as bad as people may think if you dig deeper than the surface stats," Rosenthal said of Tucker, who is currently batting .179. "It's just staying the course and doing his thing and trusting all those surface numbers are going to pan themselves out in the long run."

With a chance that the two top prospects could be called up to the big leagues at any time, Rosenthal credits their attitude toward the game as a reason they will be successful in the majors.
"There's not a ton that I have to do. Like you said, their dream is to make the big leagues and be successful, so that is a big driving motivation for them," he said. "They will have something concrete that they do that they know gets them ready."
Matt Snyder had three hits, including a pair of doubles, and three RBIs for New Orleans. Marlins No. 6 prospectIsan Díaz went 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored out of the leadoff spot.