HOUSTON — Jose Altuve, drenched in champagne and beer with an MVP trophy tucked away in his locker, walked back onto the field Saturday evening, and there she was running towards him.

It was his daughter, 2 ½-year-old Melanie, jumping into his arms, taking off his cap, placing it back on his head sideways. She picked up a piece of confetti and gave him a kiss.

One day, she’ll be told the whole story, and fully grasp what happened this night.

Maybe then, she’ll truly understand the moment, and savor it like every other Astros fan for the rest of their lives.

The night Altuve hit that home run.

With one swing, the 5-foot-6 Altuve provided the Houston Astros with one of the most magical moments in franchise history, a two-out, ninth-inning homer, lifting the Astros past the New York Yankees, 6-4, into the World Series.

The 29-year-old Altuve was named the ALCS’s Most Valuable Player for his heroics, batting .348 with two homers, three RBI and six runs in the series.

“It was a Joe Carter-esque home run,’’ Astros president Reid Ryan said. “He is the best player in baseball.’’

And maybe the best to ever wear an Astros’ uniform.

“I've said things for five years now, I've talked about how great this guy is,’’ Astros manager A.J. Hinch said, “and he continues to exceed expectations. It's not easy to deliver the way he does.

“The playoff version of him is spectacular. He's turned himself into a star in his career here, and yet he's remained humble, he's remained hungry.

“Everything that's right about the Astros is Jose Altuve.’’

WORLD SERIES: Astros set up showdown with Nationals

YANKEES: Bombers went the whole decade without World Series trip

Even Hall of Famer Craig Biggio couldn’t recall a more electrifying moment in franchise history.

“It’s Josey doing Josey things,’’ Biggio said during the celebration on the field, with the sellout crowd in no hurry to go home. “Just a remarkable player. Look at the hardware he has at home.

“When he’s healthy, there’s really nothing he can’t do. He can beat you in every way. With his glove. His speed. His power. He’s incredible."

Then again, how many players could hit the biggest home run of their life and the first thing out of their mouth is giving all the credit to teammate George Springer for drawing a two-out walk?

Yep, so much for self-promotion and worrying about his brand.

“That’s him, that’s Jose Altuve,’’ said Astros outfielder Josh Reddick. “I mean, we just had our hearts broken. And he put it back together.’’

The Astros were two outs away from winning the ALCS in the top of the ninth, when D.J. LeMahieu hit a home run just beyond the outstretched glove of right fielder George Springer, tying the game, and silencing the road of the crowd.

“It was heart-wrenching to see the ball bouncing around on the front row,’’ Reddick said. “I put my hands on top of my head. Your heart hits the floor.’’

And then the bottom of the ninth came around.

Aroldis Chapman, the Yankees’ All-Star closer, opened the ninth by striking out Martin Maldonado, and getting Reddick out on a pop-up. Then he walked Springer, giving the Astros hope.

Altuve, knowing that Chapman had to be cautious, watched him throw a 98.5-mph fastball for ball one. Then another, 97.3 mph fastball for ball two.

That’s when Reddick, sitting on the dugout stairs to the far end of the bench, leaned over to Brantley and blurted out:

"'He’s going to win it.’"

Chapman, desperate to regain his control, went to his slider, 85.3-mph, for a called strike.

Hinch thought about having Springer steal second, putting him in scoring position so a hit would win the game, but then worried about the Yankees intentionally walking Altuve, bringing up light-hitting Jake Marisnick.

“I was kind of thinking, maybe he can hook a ball in the corner,’’ Hinch said, “and can George score from first. A couple of years ago, we won a game here [off Chapman] by hooking a ball down the corner, so I was thinking maybe we could do the same.’’

Chapman, not wanting to fall behind, tried to throw another slider for a strike.

It hung over the plate.

And Altuve swung with all of his might.

The ball soared 407 feet into the night, high above the left-center-field fence, and the celebratory scream pierced the air, with Chapman standing on the mound with his mouth wide open, saying later, “I was in shock.’’

“I just started running,’’ Springer said, “knowing if it didn’t go out, I’ve got to score. I didn’t really remember what happened next. I just had to remember to touch home plate. ...

“There’s not anything he does that doesn’t surprise me anymore. That’s why he is our guy. He’s an unbelievable player, but even a better person, and to have him in that situation is exactly what we wanted.’’

Brantley, who signed a two-year free-agent contract to join the Astros after spending 10 years in Cleveland, could only laugh at Altuve’s modesty. He was aware of Altuve’s talents over the years. Come on, everyone knows about Altuve, a former MVP, three-time batting champion, six-time All-Star and a World Series champion.

Still, unless you’re around him every day, you don’t appreciate his greatness.

“To see how hard he works every day, and what he does not only on the field but what he does in the locker room and how much he cares,’’ Brantley said, “it’s awesome to watch. It’s awesome to be a part of.

“He’s been a special player for a long time, but what he did tonight only adds to his legacy.’’

This is a player who came up on one of the worst teams in baseball. The Astros were the laughingstocks of baseball, losing 324 games from 2011-2013. Now, here is Altuve, the heart and soul of a potential American League dynasty.

“I still remember when we lost 100 games three years in a row,’’ Altuve said. “It seems like we were in the very, very bottom. So the only hope I had was to keep working hard because everybody keeps telling me, 'Yeah, we're going to win a championship, we're going to be a really good team.' I wanted to be a part of that.’"

Now, here they are, four victories away from winning their second World Series championship in three years, facing the Washington Nationals on Tuesday in Game 1 at Minute Maid Park.

“We’re going to the World Series,’’ said Altuve, “but we're not going to the World Series because of me. We're going to the World Series because of everybody inside of the clubhouse.’’

“This was a great series, and unbelievable series, but the only difference, is that we have Jose Altuve," said Ryan, the club's president since 2013.

"The Yankees didn't.

“It’s that simple."