HOUSTON, TX – July 26, 2025 – The Houston Astros’ struggles against the Athletics continued tonight as they fell 5-1 in Game 3 of their four-game series at Daikin Park. This marks their third consecutive loss to Oakland, giving the Athletics the series lead.
The much-anticipated “showdown” between Hunter Brown and Nick Kurtz proved to be more of a pitching duel early on. Hunter Brown (9-5) started strong for the Astros, but despite his usual high strikeout numbers (5 Ks through 4 innings), he faltered in the middle innings, giving up 4 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks. He exited after 5 innings, taking the loss.
On the Athletics’ side, Jacob Lopez (4-6) delivered a solid performance, limiting the Astros’ potent offense to just one run through six innings.
The Athletics broke the scoreless tie in the 4th inning when Brent Rooker hit an RBI double off Brown, scoring Nick Kurtz, who had walked earlier in the inning. They added to their lead in the 6th with a two-run single from Shea Langeliers, followed by another RBI hit by Lawrence Butler.
The Astros’ lone run came in the 5th inning when Jose Altuve singled home Mauricio Dubón. Despite putting runners on base, they couldn’t string together enough hits to mount a serious comeback against the Athletics’ bullpen, who held them in check the rest of the way.
Nick Kurtz, after his historic four-homer game, was relatively quiet tonight, going 0-for-1 with a walk and a strikeout against Brown. However, his teammates picked him up.
With this loss, the Astros’ record now stands at 60-45. They currently hold a 5-game lead over the Seattle Mariners, whose record is 55-49, in the AL West. The Astros will play the series finale against the Athletics tomorrow, Sunday, July 27th, desperately hoping to avoid a sweep at home.
