The game was decided before Houston could find its footing. Washington scored in the third, added three more in the fourth, and piled on three additional runs in the fifth — eight runs in three innings that made the rest of the afternoon a formality. Foster Griffin made sure it stayed that way.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HOU | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0 |
| WSH | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 8 | 9 | 1 |
Griffin was the story on the mound. The right-hander worked seven innings, allowing just 1 run on 5 hits, walking nobody and striking out nine on 99 pitches. He picked up his 10th win against 2 losses, carrying a 2.77 ERA. It was the kind of start that renders the bullpen nearly irrelevant.
Luis Garcia provided the offensive centerpiece. He went 3-for-4 with a walk, drove in 3 runs and scored twice. His three-run home run to right center — 417 feet — in the fourth inning turned a 2-0 lead into a 5-0 advantage, with Ruiz and Wood both crossing the plate. C. J. Abrams opened the scoring in the third with a sacrifice fly that brought Wood home, and Daylen Lile's double made it 2-0 later that inning. Abrams added a solo home run to right center in the fifth, his 20th of the season, and Keibert Ruiz capped the inning with a sacrifice fly that scored Dylan Crews, pushing the lead to 8-1.
Spencer Arrighetti absorbed the damage for Houston. He lasted just four innings, allowing 8 runs on 7 hits and 6 walks, throwing 94 pitches. His record fell to 7-5 with a 4.50 ERA. The Astros managed only two runs — Brice Matthews singled home Yainer Diaz in the fifth, and Nick Allen reached on an infield single in the eighth as Zach Dezenzo scored on a throwing error by Abrams — but they never threatened to make it a game.
Washington improved to 48-46. Houston dropped to 46-49.