PIRATES BEAT ASTROS
Hunter Brown stumbles, Pirates defeat Astros 6-2
Jul 30, 2024, 10:34 pm
Pirates defeat Hunter Brown and the Astros, 6-2. Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images
Michael Taylor homered for the second straight game, Bailey Falter returned to the rotation and threw one-run ball into the sixth inning as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Houston Astros 6-2 on Tuesday night.
Taylor hit a 403-foot, two-run homer off Astros starter Hunter Brown (9-7) in the sixth inning. Taylor hit a go-ahead homer in the ninth inning on Monday night in the Pirates' 5-3 victory. His fourth homer of the season also marked the first back-to-back homer games for the 33-year-old outfielder since August with Minnesota.
Falter (5-7), making his first start since July 6 due to triceps tendonitis, kept Houston in check, throwing 47 of his 66 pitches for strikes. The 27-year-old left-hander allowed six hits and one run with three strikeouts and no walks in 5 1/3 innings.
Astros catcher Yainer Diaz hit a solo homer off Falter in the fourth inning for his 10th homer and 58th RBI of the season.
Brown was pulled following Taylor’s homer, falling an out short of his 13th straight start of six innings or more. He allowed five runs, four earned, with eight strikeouts and two walks.
The Pirates scored first, in the second inning, on a fielder’s choice. In the fourth, Brown committed a two-out throwing error on a weak grounder from Connor Joe that allowed Joey Bart to score. The next batter, Jared Triolo, doubled to score Joe and put Pittsburgh up 3-0.
The Astros picked up their second run on a fielder’s choice on which Yordan Alvarez scored.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: Carmen Mlodzinski (right shoulder strain) was put on the 15-day injured list. ... OF Joshua Palacios (left hamstring) and OF Ji Hwan Bae (left knee), who both left Monday’s game early, ran on Tuesday but did not play.
Astros: RHP Justin Verlander (neck) and RHP Luis Garcia (Tommy John) threw off a mound on Tuesday, as they near a return. Verlander threw less than 30 pitches against live batters, while Garcia threw 30 pitches, also against live batters.
UP NEXT
Astros LHP Framber Valdez (9-5, 3.43 ERA) will look to help the Astros to a seventh straight win in games in which he starts, a stretch where he is 4-0 with a 2.49 ERA. Pittsburgh has not announced a starter.
The Houston Astros wrapped up yet another series win this week, this time taking two of three from the struggling Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Despite missing several key players and a bullpen that wasn’t fully available, the Astros continued their recent run of success, pushing their record to 52-35.
Manager Joe Espada appeared to be playing the long game in the rubber match on Thursday. After Houston rallied to tie the game in the seventh inning, Espada stuck with reliever Jordan Weems instead of turning to his high-leverage arms. That decision, while frustrating to some fans hoping for the sweep, underscored the team’s cautious approach to workload management as they navigate a long season.
One bright spot continues to be rookie Cam Smith, who delivered again in the clutch with a two-run triple in the seventh inning on Thursday. Smith has been Houston’s most dependable bat with runners on base and is quickly settling into the cleanup role—a rarity for a first-year player but one he’s earned with his poise and production.
Astros cleanup hitter RBIs this season:
Cam Smith: 10 RBIs in 7 games
All others: 28 RBIs in 80 games
— Matt Kawahara (@matthewkawahara) July 3, 2025
Off the field, the biggest storyline continues to be Yordan Alvarez’s injury. After reports surfaced that the slugger had experienced a setback in his return from a fractured hand, the team clarified that the issue is inflammation, not the fracture itself. Astros general manager Dana Brown said Alvarez received injections to address the irritation and is expected to rest for now. Encouragingly, the Astros say the fracture is no longer a concern, and while there’s still no definitive timeline for his return, the overall tone from the club was optimistic.
The transparency around Alvarez’s situation is part of a larger shift. After being criticized in recent seasons for vague injury updates, the Astros have begun issuing daily availability reports. It’s a move that signals the front office is trying to regain some trust with the media and fans after a stretch of frustrating ambiguity around player health.
Now, the Astros head to Los Angeles for a marquee matchup with the defending champion Dodgers. Friday’s opener will feature Lance McCullers Jr. making just his second start since returning from the injured list. McCullers gave up eight runs in his return against the Cubs and will be under the spotlight as he looks to settle back into form. Control will be the key, as walks have long been McCullers’ Achilles’ heel.
Saturday sets the stage for one of the most anticipated pitching matchups of the season: Framber Valdez versus Shohei Ohtani. With both teams fighting for positioning in their respective divisions, this weekend in LA should serve as a measuring stick—and perhaps a postseason preview.
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