The Houston Astros managed only five hits Friday night as the Atlanta Braves opened the final home series of the regular season at Daikin Park with a 6-2 win. With the victory, Atlanta became the fifth team to clinch a spot in the 2026 postseason.
The loss dropped the Astros to 77-77 with eight games remaining and, with Texas defeating Toronto Friday night, left Houston and the Rangers tied atop the AL West.
Before the game, the Astros welcomed fan favorite Mauricio Dubón back to Houston with a video montage of some of his best moments in an Astros uniform. Dubón, now with Atlanta, went 2-for-5 against his former team, including a fourth-inning double and a seventh-inning single.
Braves Break Through Against Lambert
Peter Lambert and Tyler Mahle traded zeroes through the first three innings before Atlanta broke through in the fourth. Matt Olson singled, and Michael Harris II followed with his 26th home run of the season, a two-run shot to left-center that gave the Braves a 2-0 lead.
Houston answered in the bottom of the inning. Yordan Alvarez led off with a double, and Isaac Paredes singled him home to cut the deficit to 2-1. Jose Altuve followed with an infield single, but the Astros couldn’t push another run across.
Lambert ran into trouble again in the sixth. Olson and Harris opened the inning with singles before Dubón flew out, advancing Olson to third. Ozzie Albies then walked to load the bases with one out, bringing AJ Blubaugh in from the bullpen. Blubaugh stranded all three inherited runners, striking out Mike Yastrzemski before Austin Riley lined out to Altuve.
Lambert finished with two runs allowed on six hits and one walk over 5⅓ innings, striking out six.
Atlanta Pulls Away
Blubaugh wasn’t as fortunate in the seventh. After walking Drake Baldwin with one out, he surrendered a two-run homer to Ronald Acuña Jr., extending Atlanta’s lead to 4-1. Bennett Sousa replaced Blubaugh and allowed singles to Harris and Dubón before getting Albies to ground out and end the inning.
Houston mounted its best late threat in the eighth. LaMonte Wade Jr. singled, and Alvarez drew his second walk of the night before Paredes delivered another RBI single, scoring Wade and cutting the lead to 4-2. Paredes drove in both Astros runs, but Altuve flew out with two runners aboard to end the inning.
The Braves put the game away in the ninth when Baldwin doubled and Olson launched his 40th home run of the season, a two-run shot off Enyel De Los Santos that made it 6-2.
Raisel Iglesias struck out Daulton Varsho, Christian Walker, and Taylor Trammell in order to end the game.
The Astros finished with five hits and went 2-for-6 with runners in scoring position. Paredes accounted for both Houston RBI.
Houston fell to 77-77 with eight games remaining, while Texas improved to 77-77 with its win over Toronto. The Astros and Rangers are tied atop the AL West heading into Saturday.
Houston and Atlanta continue the three-game series Saturday at 6:10 p.m. CT at Daikin Park. Hayden Wesneski (5-2, 3.70 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Astros against Braves right-hander Grant Holmes (9-5, 3.49 ERA).
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