STATEMENT MADE

Hunter Brown dominates early as Astros storm back to beat New York

Astros Hunter Brown
Everything was working for Hunter Brown on Tuesday. Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images.

The Houston Astros secured a 7-4 victory over the New York Mets, fueled by dominant pitching performances and a late offensive surge.

Hunter Brown set the tone early, delivering a dominant start with four scoreless innings while striking out six. His command and poise on the mound kept the Mets' hitters off balance, showcasing why the Astros have high expectations for the young right-hander.

Josh Hader followed with a scoreless fifth inning, and Bryan Abreu continued the trend with a shutout sixth. Abreu also flashed his athleticism, making a slick play off the mound to throw out a runner at first.

Things took a turn in the seventh when Tayler Scott struggled, allowing three hits and walking the bases loaded with two outs. Donovan Walton capitalized, crushing a high fastball for a grand slam to put the Mets up 4-0. Despite his rocky outing, Scott ended up with the win as Houston mounted a comeback.

Brendan Rodgers helped ignite the rally, slashing a ground-rule double to cut the deficit to 4-2. He later told the Astros’ broadcast team that he has been working to shorten his swing. Jose Altuve then delivered in the clutch, ripping a double down the left-field line to even the score at 4-4. Moments later, Luis Guillorme singled to right, bringing home Altuve and giving the Astros a 5-4 lead.

Houston kept the momentum going in the eighth, tacking on two more runs for insurance. Steven Okert continued his impressive spring, striking out the side in the eighth while keeping his hitless streak intact. Logan VanWey sealed the victory with a scoreless ninth, earning the save.

With another strong team effort, the Astros showed resilience and depth as they continue to prepare for the regular season.


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Astros let lead slip late in tough loss to Rays

Chas McCormick gets another start in Game 2. Composite Getty Image.

The Houston Astros will aim to lock up a series victory Tuesday night as they face the Tampa Bay Rays in the second game of a three-game set. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. ET.

Houston (25–22) took the opener 4–3 on Monday and has now won five of its last ten games, continuing a recent surge that has pulled them back above .500 and into second place in the AL West. Tampa Bay (21–26) sits fourth in the AL East and has struggled to find consistency, especially at home where they are now just 11–18.

The Astros will turn to left-hander Brandon Walter, who is set to make his season debut. Walter, a depth option from the Astros' system, gets the nod with the club working through recent rotation injuries.

The Rays counter with right-hander Zack Littell (3–5, 4.31 ERA), who has been solid but not dominant across his first nine starts. He’s struck out 32 batters in 54.1 innings with a strong 1.12 WHIP.

Team trends

Houston holds the AL’s fifth-best team on-base percentage (.318) and has gone 6–4 over its last 10 games, posting a .252 batting average and a 3.78 team ERA in that span. Tampa Bay is 5–5 over its last 10, hitting .236 while their pitching staff has combined for a 4.34 ERA.

Players to watch

  • Jake Meyers continues to provide timely power for Houston, while Isaac Paredes has been one of Houston's steadiest hitters, going 11-for-37 with three home runs over his last 10 games.
  • Jonathan Aranda leads the Rays with a .309 batting average and has been a consistent bat in the middle of their lineup.
  • Chandler Simpson, a recent spark plug for Tampa, is hitting .364 over his last 10 games.

Betting line

According to BetMGM, the Astros are slight road favorites at -114, with the Rays at -105. The over/under is set at 9.5 runs, signaling expectations for a potentially high-scoring matchup.

With the series opener in their pocket and Walter making his first appearance of the year, the Astros will look to keep momentum rolling in Tampa and inch closer to the top of the AL West standings.

Here's a look at Tuesday's night's lineup:

Yainer Diaz gets the night off, with Victor Caratini catching Walter in his big league debut. Chas McCormick is in the lineup again playing left field, and Zach Dezenzo gets the nod in the DH spot.

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