MATTHEWS GOES DEEP AGAIN!
Rookie role grows again in Astros' latest win
Jul 23, 2025, 12:00 am
Brice Matthews helped lead the Astros to a 3-1 victory over the Diamondbacks. Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images.
Framber Valdez pitched seven effective innings for his 10th straight win, Brice Matthews hit his third homer in two games and the Houston Astros rallied to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-1 on Tuesday night.
Valdez (11-4) allowed a run and seven hits to match Detroit’s Tarik Skubal for the majors’ longest win streak this season.
Matthews hit his first two big league homers in Houston’s 6-3 win Monday night and launched a two-run shot off Jake Woodford (0-1) in the eighth.
Let's Brice things up a bit!#BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/HqQEPzdJsH
— Houston Astros (@astros) July 23, 2025
Jose Altuve scored on a wild pitch to put Houston up 3-1 in the ninth.
Diamondbacks starter Eduardo Rodriguez held the Astros in check before that, tossing 6 1/3 scoreless innings.
Arizona loaded the bases in the ninth, but Bryan King struck out Blaze Alexander and induced Jose Herrera into a game-ending double play for his first save.
Valdez was sharp before running into trouble in the sixth.
Randal Grichuk led off with a double, Geraldo Perdomo dropped a bunt single and Blaze Alexander followed with a run-scoring groundout. Valdez also worked out of a jam after giving up two leadoff singles in the eighth.
Rodriguez worked through traffic most of the night, getting some help from his defense.
Corbin Carroll made a sliding catch in center to rob Matthews of a hit in the second inning. Matthews lost another hit in the fourth when Arizona second baseman Ketel Marte flipped a slow roller with his glove on a play initially ruled a hit before being overturned.
Key moment
Houston third baseman Mauricio Dubón threw out pinch runner Alek Thomas at the plate in the eighth with the Diamondbacks leading 1-0.
Key stat
Valdez has not lost since May 2 against the Chicago White Sox.
Up next
Arizona RHP Brandon Pfaadt (10-6, 4.82) will pitch the series finale on Wednesday. The Astros have yet to name a starter.
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Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.
Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.
The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.
Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Key moment
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Key Stat
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Up next
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.