WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Hunter Brown gave the Houston Astros exactly what they needed Sunday afternoon. The offense, once again, could not match it.
Brown worked four crisp innings against the Washington Nationals, keeping the game scoreless while the Astros’ lineup struggled to generate consistent pressure. Houston managed just one run all afternoon—a solo home run from Cam Smith in the fifth inning that briefly tied the game at 1–1.
The deadlock did not last long. Ronny Cruz delivered the decisive blow in the seventh, launching a two-run homer that put Washington back in front for good as the Nationals claimed a 3–1 win in Grapefruit League play at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches.
Smith’s homer stood as the lone offensive highlight for Houston. Yordan Alvarez, making one of his early spring appearances, went 0-for-2. Jose Altuve and Yainer Diaz were both held quiet at the plate, while Brice Matthews struck out twice and Lucas Spence finished 0-for-2 with a pair of strikeouts.
The Astros’ bullpen kept things within reach for most of the afternoon. J.P. France, Steven Okert, and Gus Varland each turned in innings of relief, but Cruz’s seventh-inning blast proved to be the difference.
The automated ball-strike (ABS) challenge system was active throughout the game, with two overturned calls going against Houston during the later innings.
The Astros fall to 4-8-3 in Grapefruit League play and return to action Monday in West Palm Beach.
