Astros offense can’t bail out Valdez in tough loss to Giants
GIANTS SWEEP 'STROS
02 April
The Giants beat the Astros, 6-3. Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images.
Wilmer Flores homered again and Luis Matos and LaMonte Wade Jr. also went deep to lead the San Francisco Giants to a 6-3 win over the Houston Astros on Wednesday to complete a three-game sweep.
It’s the fourth home run this season for Flores, who hit just four in 71 games last season. His four homers were tied with Aaron Judge, Kyle Tucker and Seiya Suzuki for second-most in the majors entering Wednesday night’s games.
Flores got things going with his two-run shot to the seats in left field off Framber Valdez (1-1) with one out in the first. Matos made it 3-0 with his shot to center field to start the second.
Heliot Ramos doubled with one out in the inning to extend his streak with an extra-base hit to six games to start the season, tying Felipe Alou (1963) for the longest such streak in franchise history. The double drove in two runs to push the lead to 5-0.
Jeremy Peña walked and stole second base with two outs in the second before scoring on a single to center field by Zach Dezenzo to cut the lead to 5-1.
Dezenzo gets us on the board pic.twitter.com/vmmW7T74fE
— Houston Astros (@astros) April 2, 2025
Valdez allowed four hits and five runs with nine strikeouts in five innings after throwing seven scoreless frames on opening day.
The Astros loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth to chase Landen Roupp. Randy Rodríguez (1-0) took over and Yordan Alvarez hit a two-run single to cut the lead to 5-3. But Rodríguez retired the next three batters, with two strikeouts, to limit the damage.
Roupp allowed four hits and three runs with eight strikeouts in four-plus innings. Camilo Doval pitched a scoreless ninth for his second save.
Wade’s pinch-hit home run with one out in the eighth was his first hit after opening the season 0 for 16.
Key moment
Rodríguez’s performance in the fifth in working out of the jam to keep the Giants on top.
Key stat
It’s the first time the Giants have swept the Astros since August 28-30, 2012, in Houston’s last season in the National League.
Up next
The Giants are off Thursday before Justin Verlander (0-0, 3.60 ERA) starts their home opener against Seattle on Friday. Houston opens a series at Minnesota on Thursday with Hunter Brown (0-1, 3.00) on the mound.
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Christian Walker and Jeremy Peña homered and Brendan Rodgers had three hits and three RBIs to lead the Houston Astros to a 5-2 win over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday.
Hunter Brown (2-0) gave up two runs in the first and shut down the Twins the rest of the way, allowing five hits and no walks with eight strikeouts in six innings. The 26-year-old righty retired 15 of the last 16 batters he faced.
Bryan King, Bryan Abreu and Josh Hader pitched scoreless innings in relief. Hader earned his third save.
Twins starter Joe Ryan (0-2) allowed five runs on five hits and struck out six over five innings.
Minnesota took a 2-0 lead in the first inning of its home opener. Matt Wallner led off with drive to the warning track that got stuck under the padding on the wall in right-center. He reached third base on the play, then scored on Carlos Correa’s groundout. Byron Buxton followed with an infield single. He stole second and scored on Trevor Larnach’s line-drive single to left-center.
The Astros got those runs back when Walker and Peña started the second with back-to-back homers.
Rodgers put the Astros on top for good with a two-run single in the fourth and drove in Victor Caratini with a double in the sixth to make it 5-2.
Key moment
With runners on first and second and one out in the fourth, a Ryan balk moved both runners into scoring position. The Twins brought their infield in, and Rodgers chopped a single just past a diving Correa at shortstop, scoring both on a ball that could have been an inning-ending double play.
Don't miss the video below as Charlie Pallilo, Brandon Strange, and Josh Jordan from Stone Cold 'Stros react live to the win on YouTube!
Key stat
Jose Altuve struck out five times, the first five-strikeout game in his 15-year MLB career.
Up next
RHP Bailey Ober (0-1, 27.00) of the Twins will face Houston RHP Spencer Arrighetti (1-0, 1.50) on Saturday.
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