Houston, TX — Behind a dominant outing from Hunter Brown and clutch power from Jeremy Peña and Yainer Diaz, the Houston Astros cruised past the Boston Red Sox 4-1 on Wednesday night at Minute Maid Park, claiming their second straight win and moving into sole possession of first place in the AL West.
Brown Bags Win No. 10
Hunter Brown (10-5) was in command all evening, tossing 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball. The right-hander gave up six hits and three walks, but repeatedly worked out of trouble, holding Boston to 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position.
His poise under pressure paid off, especially in the sixth inning when the Red Sox threatened to tie the game. With the potential tying run on third and two outs, Boston manager Alex Cora erupted over what he believed was a balk by Brown. After a lengthy umpire conference, no call was made, and the inning ended without damage. Cora’s protests continued into the seventh, where he was ejected during a mound visit — his fifth ejection of the season.
Early and Late Power Surge
The Astros wasted no time on offense. On the fifth pitch of the game from Boston starter Walker Buehler (7-7), Jeremy Peña crushed his fifth leadoff home run of the year to right-center, giving Houston an early lead. Later in the inning, Yainer Diaz drove in another run with a two-out RBI single, pushing the score to 2-0.
Diaz wasn’t done. In the sixth inning, with Houston clinging to a 2-1 lead, the red-hot catcher turned on a hanging sweeper from Buehler and launched a 415-foot homer to left-center — his 17th blast of the season — to give the Astros breathing room.
Lockdown Relief
After Brown exited in the seventh, Bennett Sousa came in and recorded four crucial outs, bridging the game to Bryan Abreu, who pitched a clean ninth for his first save of the season.
By the Numbers
Yainer Diaz is batting .321 over his last 13 games, with 4 home runs and 13 RBIs.
Jeremy Peña’s homer was his 5th from the leadoff spot in 2025.
The Astros (72-47) now lead the AL West by one game over Seattle, who lost 4-3 to Baltimore.
What’s Next:
Red Sox: Return to Fenway Park Friday to open a three-game series against the Miami Marlins. Lucas Giolito (8-2, 3.77 ERA) is expected to start.
Astros: Stay home to host the Baltimore Orioles in a weekend series. Framber Valdez (11-5, 2.97 ERA) will take the mound in Friday’s opener.
