BREGGY BOMB SAVES THE DAY!
Bregman walk-off homer lifts Astros over Dodgers 7-6
Jul 27, 2024, 9:34 pm
Astros defeat the Dodgers, 7-6. Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images.
Alex Bregman hit a game-ending homer off Blake Treinen in the ninth inning that sailed over the left-field train tracks, and the Houston Astros overcame Shohei Ohtani's National League-leading 32nd home run to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-6 on Saturday night.
BREGGY BOMB TO THE TRACKS!!!#RELENTLESS pic.twitter.com/rITGhe9sXm
— Houston Astros (@astros) July 28, 2024
Houston trailed 5-0 in the sixth and 6-4 in the eighth before Yainer Diaz tripled off Daniel Hudson, and Jeremy Peña and Jon Singleton hit RBI singles.
Bregman drove a 1-0 sinker from Treinen (5-3) that went 407 feet for his 14th home run.
Josh Hader (4-5) pitched a perfect ninth for the Astros (55-49), who have won three straight and 22 of 33.
Los Angeles (62-44) has lost three of four following a five-game winning streak.
Cavan Biggio hit an RBI double in the second and Ohtani doubled the lead in the third with 443-foot drive into the second level in right, a 118.7 mph drive, according to Statcast.
Gavin Lux and Teoscar Hernández hit RBI singles in the fifth and Biggio homered in the eighth, his fourth this season and second with the Dodgers.
Diaz, Peña, Jake Meyers and Victor Caratini had four straight two-out RBI singles in the sixth against Evan Phillips. With two on, Anthony Banda struck out Jon Singleton.
Dodgers starter Justin Wrobleski allowed two runs and four hits in 5 2/3 innings. Houston's Ronel Blanco gave up four runs and three hits in 4 1/3 innings, tying a career high with nine strikeouts.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Dodgers: RHP Walker Buehler (right hip inflammation) allowed four runs and eight hits in four innings Friday night in a rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City. Manager Dave Roberts said Buehler will have another rehab start “and hopefully, get through the fifth then we will see where that goes.” ... 1B Freddie Freeman was placed on the family emergency list and C Hunter Feduccia was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Astros: RHP Justin Verlander (neck discomfort) threw over 50 pitches in a bullpen Saturday, manager Joe Espada said. Verlander’s next step will be throwing off a game mound next week, Espada said. … RHP Luis Garcia (right elbow surgery) will throw a bullpen session early next week, Espada said.
UP NEXT
Astros RHP Spencer Arrighetti (4-8, 5.65 ERA) starts Sunday in the series finale against Dodgers RHP River Ryan (0-0, 0.00 ERA).
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The Astros returned from the All-Star break facing two pivotal turning points: a season-defining road series in Seattle and an increasingly hard-to-ignore situation at first base. And while their draft-day gamble on high school slugger Xavier Neyens speaks to long-term optimism, the questions swirling around Christian Walker feel far more immediate.
Houston’s decision to select Neyens 21st overall was a surprise to some, not because of his talent, but because of the organization's pressing need for bats in the upper minors. Still, those inside the draft room saw too much upside to pass on.
Considering the Astros reluctance to sign players long-term, he might be the Jeremy Peña or Isaac Paredes replacement down the road if Cam Smith stays in right field. The bat speed is elite, and the belief is he’ll grow into real power.
Neyens, a 6-foot-4 shortstop projected to possibly shift to third base, may someday be a middle-of-the-lineup anchor. But in the near term, it’s Houston’s lack of middle-of-the-lineup production at first base that casts a shadow over their playoff push.
Walker, acquired in hopes of stabilizing the position after José Abreu’s departure, has not delivered. He’s hitting .229 with a .660 OPS and has already been dropped to seventh in the lineup. With the Astros quietly monitoring alternatives, Jon Singleton, yes, that Jon Singleton, has reemerged as a name worth watching. The left-handed slugger has already hit four homers in 16 games for Sugar Land, posting an .850 OPS. That’s not nothing, even if his career numbers don’t scream long-term fix. In a more typical scenario, the Astros could implement a platoon at first base. But Walker is actually hitting worse against left-handed pitching (.180).
Unless Singleton forces their hand by continuing to look like Babe Ruth in Sugar Land, they’ll likely keep riding with Walker. But the leash is shorter than it was.
The Astros cut ties with Abreu just 1.5 seasons into a 3-year contract. A similar timeline isn’t out of the question for Walker if things don’t turn around. Especially with free agency and trade deadlines presenting chances for Dana Brown to build in contingency plans.
In the meantime, Houston’s most important series of the season so far gets underway this Friday in Seattle, where the Mariners enter just five games back after bludgeoning the Tigers heading into the break. The Astros’ lead, once seven games, feels less secure with Yordan Alvarez, Peña, and Jake Meyers all still sidelined.
The good news: the Astros lead MLB in strikeouts and WHIP, and are TOP 5 in ERA. Their OPS over the past month is second in the league. The concern: Hunter Brown has been shaky in back-to-back starts, and the back of the rotation is a patchwork of question marks.
The Astros apparently have similar concerns about Brown, opting to give him more rest coming out of the All-Star break. He won't be pitching against the Mariners. MLB.com's Brian McTaggart is reporting that the Astros will start Brandon Walter on Friday, Lance McCullers on Saturday, and Framber Valdez on Sunday.
Astros rotation against Seattle:
Friday: LHP Brandon Walter (1-2, 3.98)
Saturday: RHP Lance McCullers Jr. (2-4, 6.48)
Sunday: LHP Framber Valdez (10-4, 2.75)
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) July 17, 2025
Big picture
A sweep in either direction would shift the momentum dramatically. But even a closely contested series could reveal more about where this roster stands, and whether first base remains a tolerated flaw or becomes an active problem.
For now, the Astros are winning enough to keep the conversation quiet. But the noise is building. And if Walker can’t find another gear soon, first base might again become a defining storyline for a team trying to hold off a charge in the West.
There's so much more to get to! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
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