HOUSTON, TX – July 30, 2025 – After five straight losses and a truly dismal weekend, the Houston Astros finally found some magic – and a victory – on their special Harry Potter Night at Daikin Park. In a game that was as much baffling as it was a relief, the Astros snapped their five-game losing streak by defeating the Washington Nationals 7-4 on Tuesday night.
The strangeness began early and continued throughout. Despite getting a solo home run from Yainer Diaz (his 14th of the season) in the 4th inning and a pinch-hit RBI single from Cooper Hummel in the 5th, the Astros’ offense struggled for consistency against Nationals starter Michael Soroka, who was making what might be his final start before Thursday’s trade deadline.
The game truly became “weird” in the middle innings. After the Nationals had taken a 2-1 lead on a Luis GarcÃa Jr. two-run homer in the 3rd, the Astros clawed back to make it 3-2. Then came the messy 6th inning where the Astros, despite not hitting a home run, managed to score three crucial runs on bases-loaded hits from Jose Altuve and a two-run single from Christian Walker, whose hit gave him 55 RBIs and the team lead. This stretched their lead to 6-2.
Amidst the offensive outburst, a particularly bizarre baserunning blunder unfolded that left fans scratching their heads. With runners on first and second, Yainer Diaz (on second) and Mauricio Dubón (on first) both found themselves heading towards second base on a ball put in play, creating a comical situation where both runners attempted to occupy the same bag. While the play ultimately didn’t cost the Astros a run, it added to the “weirdness” factor of the night.
However, the Nationals didn’t go quietly. They chipped away, scoring a run in the 7th and another in the 8th, making it a 7-4 game and putting runners in scoring position with one out in the 8th. But Astros reliever Bryan Abreu, who currently leads all qualified MLB relief pitchers in strikeouts with 76 on the season, managed to escape the jam with two crucial strikeouts, maintaining the lead.
The bullpen, which had seen its share of struggles, held on. Left-handed reliever Bennett Sousa (5-0) picked up the win after getting four outs in relief, and Josh Hader struck out the side in the ninth for his 28th save, slamming the door shut on the Nationals and the Astros’ five-game slide.
The Astros offense was a bright spot, particularly the performance of Mauricio Dubón, who notched three hits and provided a much-needed spark. Along with Yainer Diaz, who also had three hits, the team collected 13 hits in total, a welcome sight after scoring just one run in their previous four contests.
The win improves the Astros’ record to 61-47, finally giving the home crowd something to cheer about after a tough week. It might not have been pretty, but on Harry Potter Night, the Astros found a way to conjure a much-needed victory.
