PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — The Houston Astros carried a 3-2 lead into the ninth inning Sunday at Clover Park but allowed 2 runs to the New York Mets in a 4-3 walk-off loss.
The defeat drops Houston to 1-6-2 in Grapefruit League play as offensive inconsistency and late-inning instability continue to surface early in camp.
Suero’s Homer Swings Momentum
Houston appeared positioned to halt its slide after taking a 3-2 lead in the sixth inning on a bases-loaded walk.
Chris Suero erased that advantage in the seventh with a solo home run to left-center field, tying the game at 3-3. It was his first home run of the spring and marked the tenth long ball allowed by Astros pitchers in nine games. Houston has hit five.
Ninth-Inning Breakdown
With the score tied in the ninth, Amos Willingham allowed a leadoff double to Austin Barnes. Pinch-runner John Bay advanced to third on a soft groundout before Yonatan Henriquez lined a single to right field that deflected off Chase Call’s glove, scoring the winning run.
Alex Santos II entered and recorded the final out, but Houston had already dropped its sixth game in eight decisions.
Alexander’s Start Raises Questions
Jason Alexander made the start on his 33rd birthday and struggled again. He lasted 2.2 innings, issuing two walks before departing with runners on first and second. Through three appearances this spring, Alexander has thrown four innings and has yet to show consistent command.
He entered the outing with a 54.00 ERA after allowing 4 runs in 1.1 innings earlier in the week against New York. His rotation bid remains uncertain.
Teng Flashes, Then Falters
Kai-Wei Teng inherited Alexander’s traffic in the third and limited the damage to one run, striking out Luis Torrens to escape a bases-loaded situation.
The fourth inning proved more difficult. Tyrone Taylor led off with a solo home run, and Teng later walked two hitters before Cristian Pache doubled home a run. His afternoon ended after 1.1 innings.
The bullpen steadied from there. Alimber Santa, Tom Cosgrove, Christian Roa, Anthony Maldonado, and Anderson Severino combined for mostly clean work before Willingham’s ninth-inning setback.
Sixth-Inning Rally Provides Brief Spark
Houston tied the game in the sixth on a wild pitch and moved ahead moments later when Jack Winkler drew a bases-loaded walk to force in Zach Cole.
The Astros’ first run came in the second inning when Nick Allen singled, stole third, and scored on Cole’s sacrifice fly. Jose Altuve finished 1-for-2 with a walk and a stolen base, while Allen reached twice and swiped a bag.
Beyond that, production was limited. Isaac Paredes walked in his second appearance since debuting with a home run earlier in the week. Yainer Diaz grounded out twice, and Joey Loperfido singled but was stranded.
Through 9 games, Houston has scored 20 runs, an average of 2.2 per contest.
Bigger Picture
The offense remains the primary concern. The Astros have scored three or fewer runs in six of nine games and have yet to find consistent power production.
Yordan Alvarez is scheduled to make his spring debut tomorrow against Washington after playing just 48 games in 2025 due to hand and ankle injuries. His return carries obvious significance for a lineup that needs impact.
The pitching picture is mixed. Mike Burrows has impressed early, and Lance McCullers Jr. showed encouraging signs in his debut. However, rotation depth remains unsettled, and Alexander has not strengthened his case.
Spring results are secondary to health and development, but recurring patterns deserve attention. Houston has struggled to score, allowed home runs at a steady rate, and failed to close games late.