The game was effectively decided before Texas had a chance to respond. Yordan Alvarez's two-run homer to center in the first inning — a 425-foot shot that scored Peña — gave Houston an immediate advantage it would never relinquish. By the time the third inning was over, the Astros led 6-0, and Globe Life Field had gone quiet.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HOU | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 10 | 0 |
| TEX | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 1 |
Peter Lambert made that cushion hold. The right-hander worked six innings, allowing just 1 run on 3 hits while striking out 7 and walking 1 on 107 pitches. Lambert improved to 8-5 with a 3.14 ERA, and the Astros bullpen covered the final three innings to complete the 9-3 victory.
The Third Inning Closed It
Houston's four-run third was the knockout blow. LaMonte Wade hit a grand slam to right — 400 feet — scoring Alvarez, Paredes, and Altuve to push the lead to 6-0. Christian Vazquez added a solo shot to left center in the fourth, and the Astros tacked on two more in the ninth — Paredes scored on a balk, and Walker crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly by Cam Smith — to reach the final margin of 9.
Kumar Rocker absorbed the damage for Texas, allowing 7 runs on 8 hits over 5.2 innings, falling to 2-8 with a 4.40 ERA. Ezequiel Duran provided the only real resistance for the Rangers, going 2-for-4 with two home runs and 3 RBI — a solo shot in the fourth and a two-run blast in the ninth that accounted for both Texas runs in that frame.
Alvarez, batting .315 with 31 home runs and 70 RBI on the season, is now 6 runs away from 500 career runs scored. Houston improved to 47-50. Texas fell to 48-47.