The Astros beat the Diamondbacks, 6-3. Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images.
Brice Matthews hit his first two big-league homers and had five RBIs, Christian Walker added an RBI double in his return to Chase Field and the Houston Astros beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-3 on Monday night.
Matthews went deep in the second inning with a three-run shot, turning a 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 lead. His two-run homer in the seventh pushed the Astros ahead 6-3.
The 23-year-old second baseman is one of the Astros’ top prospects and a first-round pick in 2023.
The Diamondbacks had their four-game winning streak snapped. Eugenio Suarez hit his NL-leading 36th homer.
Arizona’s Zac Gallen (7-11) gave up six runs over six innings. He’s given up 23 homers this year, which is already the most in a season in his career.
Houston lefty Colton Gordon (4-2) gave up three runs — two earned — over 5 2/3 innings. Josh Hader worked the ninth for his 26th save in 27 chances.
The D-backs had the tying run at the plate with two outs, but Josh Naylor flied out to right to end the game.
Walker had two hits while playing against the D-backs for the first time since he left the team for Houston in free agency during the offseason. He hit 146 homers over eight seasons in Arizona, helping the franchise reach the World Series in 2023.
D-backs star Ketel Marte returned to the lineup for the first time since his house was burglarized over the All-Star break. The D-backs left 11 runners on base.
Key moment
The D-backs loaded the bases with two outs in the sixth, but reliever Bennett Sousa retired Marte on a fly ball to left to end the threat.
Key stat
Gallen reached 1,000 career strikeouts in the fourth inning. He’s the second pitcher who debuted in 2019 to hit the mark, joining Dylan Cease.
Up next
The Astros send LHP Framber Valdez (10-4, 2.75 ERA) to the mound against Diamondbacks LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (3-6, 5.94) on Tuesday.
José Soriano and two relievers combined for a two-hitter and Oswald Peraza hit his first home run since a trade from the Yankees to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 3-0 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday.
Soriano (10-9) allowed one hit and struck out eight in seven innings. Luis García allowed one hit in a scoreless eighth and Kenley Jansen threw a perfect ninth for his 25th save.
There were two outs in the fifth when Peraza connected off Hunter Brown (10-7) into the bullpen in right-center field to put the Angels up 1-0. His homer comes after his two-run single in the ninth inning Saturday helped Los Angeles to a 4-1 victory that snapped a three-game skid.
Yoan Moncada walked to start the eighth and scored on Mike Trout’s double that bounced off the wall in center field to make it 2-0. Taylor Ward walked before Luis Rengifo reached and Trout scored on an error by Lance McCullers Jr. when the pitcher overthrew first base.
Yordan Alvarez singled with no outs in the first and Soriano walked a batter in the second and sixth innings. The Astros didn’t get another hit until Ramón Urías doubled with one out in the eighth inning. Los Angeles outfielder Taylor Ward was injured trying to make a catch on that hit when he crashed face-first into the metal scoreboard in left field.
He was carted off the field holding a towel to the right side of his face. He was taken to a hospital by ambulance where interim manager Ray Montgomery said he would receive stitches to close the cut and be evaluated.
Brown allowed three hits and a run with five strikeouts in six innings. McCullers Jr. allowed three hits and two runs in his first relief appearance since 2018.
Key moment
The home run by Peraza.
Key stat
It’s the fifth time the Astros have been shut out this month.
Up next
LHP Yusei Kikuchi (6-9, 3.68 ERA) will start for Los Angeles in the series finale Monday against RHP Luis Garcia, who’ll make his return after sitting out since May 2023 recovering from Tommy John surgery.
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