The Astros had the lead. They had chances to add to it. They had more chances to win it late.
Instead, Arizona erased a 3-1 deficit and scored the deciding run in the 10th inning Saturday as Houston fell 4-3 at Daikin Park. The loss snapped the Astros’ three-game winning streak and dropped them to 73-70, but Texas also lost, leaving Houston’s AL West lead at three games.
Astros Strike First
Houston broke through in the third after Yainer Diaz singled and Taylor Trammell doubled to put runners at second and third. After Cam Smith popped out and Jeremy Peña struck out, Arizona intentionally walked Yordan Alvarez to load the bases.
Isaac Paredes made the Diamondbacks pay, lining a two-run single to right to give the Astros a 2-0 lead.
The Astros added another run in the fifth. Smith tripled with one out but was thrown out at third on Peña’s fielder’s choice. Alvarez then walked, and Paredes delivered again, driving in Peña with his second hit of the night and third RBI.
Pecko Keeps Arizona in Check
Ethan Pecko gave Houston 4⅓ solid innings, allowing one run on five hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Arizona’s only run against him came after Tim Tawa singled and Lars Nootbaar followed with another single in the fifth. Enyel De Los Santos replaced Pecko and allowed Tawa to score on Geraldo Perdomo’s sacrifice fly before ending the inning.
De Los Santos allowed no hits or walks over 1⅔ innings and struck out two.
The Lead Slips Away
Kai-Wei Teng opened the seventh and retired Max Kepler before walking Tawa and Ryan Waldschmidt. AJ Blubaugh entered and immediately surrendered an RBI double to Nootbaar, cutting Houston’s lead to 3-2, but escaped without further damage.
Blubaugh returned for the eighth, and Ketel Marte led off with a solo homer to right to tie the game at 3. Houston had a chance to answer when Jose Altuve doubled with one out in the bottom of the inning, but the Astros left him stranded.
Josh Hader pitched a perfect ninth, but Houston couldn’t capitalize on Diaz’s leadoff single in the bottom half. Pinch-runner Jake Meyers remained at first as Trammell and Smith struck out and Peña flew out.
Diamondbacks Take It in the 10th
Bryan King took over in the 10th with automatic runner Ildemaro Vargas at second. Perdomo moved Vargas to third with a sacrifice bunt, and Gabriel Moreno singled to center to put Arizona ahead 4-3.
Houston began its half of the inning with Peña at second and the heart of the order coming up. But Alvarez struck out looking, Paredes popped out in foul territory, and Altuve struck out swinging as the Astros failed to advance the tying run.
Alvarez finished 0-for-3 with two walks, including one intentional walk, dropping his batting average to .315. He remains at 37 home runs and 94 RBIs.
Houston fell to 73-70 but remained three games ahead of Texas in the AL West after the Rangers also lost Saturday.
The Astros and Diamondbacks finish the series Sunday at 1:10 p.m. CT at Daikin Park. Peter Lambert (8-7, 3.66 ERA) is scheduled to start for Houston against left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (14-5, 2.59 ERA). The game will air on Space City Home Network, with streaming available through the SCHN app.
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