Altuve: Astros 'can turn things around' despite 2-7 start

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve is remaining positive despite his team's 2-7 start to the season.

The Astros lost 7-2 to the Texas Rangers on Saturday and have dropped the first two games of the series against their AL West rivals.

"Starting off the season, it doesn't define the season you're going to have," Altuve said, according to The Athletic's Chandler Rome. "We still have 150-something games more, and a lot of things can happen, and we can turn things around."

The Astros haven't been at least five games under .500 since June 2016. The 2-7 start to the season is Houston's worst since it started 2-8 in 2011.

"It's nine games. That's what they're thinking. It's early," Astros manager Joe Espada said, according to The Associated Press. "We're going to continue to grind. That's the makeup and character of this team."

Altuve has been one of the few bright spots for the Astros so far this season. The 33-year-old has a hit in all nine of Houston's games and is slashing .378/.425/.730 with three home runs, four doubles, and three RBIs in 37 at-bats.

The Astros have been a model of consistency as a franchise, making the ALCS in seven consecutive campaigns with a pair of World Series wins during that span.