Brown dazzles
Astros' Hunter Brown quietly reaches milestone no one else has
Jun 1, 2025, 4:49 pm
The Astros beat the Rays, 1-0. Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images.
Hunter Brown allowed one hit in six innings to become the first eight-game winner in the majors, and the Houston Astros edged the Tampa Bay Rays 1-0 on Sunday to split a four-game series.
Josh Hader earned his 15th save for the Astros, who scored an unearned run in the first. Jeremy Peña reached on a fielding error by third baseman Junior Caminero and scored on Christian Walker's two-out single off Taj Bradley (4-5).
Houston reliever Bryan King retired two batters and permitted the only other Tampa Bay hit. Bryan Abreu got four outs to set up Hader.
Brown (8-3) didn't give up a hit until Josh Lowe singled to left field leading off the sixth. The right-hander then struck Brandon Lowe before ending his outing with a double play.
The Rays (30-29) outscored the Astros 29-6 in their two wins. Houston (32-27) outscored Tampa Bay 3-1 in its two wins.
Tampa Bay's Taylor Walls was ejected for arguing with plate umpire Nic Lentz with one out in the ninth. Christopher Morel finished the at-bat and struck out. Hader fanned Caminero to end it and hasn't blown a save this season.
Jacob Melton made his big league debut for the Astros, beating out a grounder to second for his first hit after looking at a called third strike his first time up. He started in center field and finished 1 for 3.
Key moment
Already trailing, Bradley had runners at the corners with nobody out in the third. But he struck out Isaac Paredes swinging, got Jose Altuve to pop out and struck out Walker looking to escape unscathed.
Key stat
Brown has a 1.83 ERA in 13 starts — fifth-lowest in the majors.
Up next
Rays RHP Drew Rasmussen (4-4, 2.33 ERA) starts Tuesday against Rangers RHP Tyler Mahle (5-2, 1.64) to begin a six-game homestand.
Astros RHP Lance McCullers Jr. (0-1, 5.89 ERA) pitches Tuesday against Pirates RHP Paul Skenes (4-5, 2.15) to begin a six-game trip.
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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.