HOUSTON, TX – July 30, 2025 – After an unusual win on Tuesday night, the Houston Astros left no doubt in today’s rubber match against the Washington Nationals, exploding for a 9-1 victory at Daikin Park. The dominant performance secured the series win for Houston and provided a much-needed offensive breakout after a recent scoring drought.
The Astros offense set the tone early. In the bottom of the first inning, Cam Smith delivered a sacrifice fly, scoring Christian Walker to give the Astros an immediate 1-0 lead. The bats truly came alive in the second inning when Jose Altuve launched a three-run home run to left field, bringing home Zack Short and Mauricio Dubón and extending Houston’s lead to 4-1.
While the Nationals managed to score their lone run in the second inning off Astros starter Ryan Gusto, it was a short-lived response. The Astros continued to pour it on in the sixth inning, putting up another five runs. Cooper Hummel hammered a two-run home run, driving in Mauricio Dubón. Later in the inning, Yainer Diaz belted a massive three-run home run to left-center field, scoring Zack Short and Jose Altuve and blowing the game wide open to 9-1. Diaz’s homer was his 15th of the season.
Astros starter Ryan Gusto (7-4) delivered a strong outing, earning the win after striking out five Nationals batters across six innings of one-run ball. The bullpen held strong, closing out the game with effective relief pitching.
This commanding 9-1 victory improves the Astros’ record to 62-47. After dropping the opening game of the series 2-1 and snapping a five-game losing streak with a 7-4 win yesterday, today’s offensive explosion provides significant momentum as the team heads into the final hours before tomorrow’s trade deadline.