Astros infielder Matt Downs went 1-for-5 Sunday afternoon, but his lone hit -- a game-winning RBI single -- with one out in the top of the 11th pushed Jose Altuve across the plate to give Houston a 4-3 win over the San Francisco Giants in 11 innings.
It was one of the most memorable moments in Downs' career, especially since he evolved in the Giants' farm system as a 36th-round pick in 2006 and eventually made a few stints with the big league organization over the previous two seasons before being designated for assignment on Aug. 23, 2010 in order for San Francisco to create a roster spot for outfielder Cody Ross.
Although Downs produced in the clutch, he credits the team's character and desire to fight until the end as the reasoning behind the victory.
"That's the character of the team we have," he said. "Nobody gets frustrated. We fight to the end every night. We might lose a game 5-4 or 3-2, but it's not like we're going down and getting beat 10-0. We are in every game and will keep fighting to the end."
The 27-year-old Downs continues to take a step forward with Houston in 2011, hitting a major league-best .444 (16-for-36) in the month of August, including a .462 mark with a homer, eight RBI, four doubles and five runs scored over his last 11 games.
Also, Downs has compiled a major league-best 11 pinch-RBI and is tied for first in the big leagues with three pinch-home runs.
He's hitting .277 with seven homers and 31 RBI on the season entering Monday's opener against the Pirates at Minute Maid Park.
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