PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Christian Walker delivered the swing of the day Saturday at Clover Park, turning a late deficit into a statement finish as the Astros rallied past the Mets, 7-5, in Grapefruit League action.
With Houston trailing 5-3 in the eighth, Walker crushed a three-run homer to left-center, capping a four-run surge that flipped the game for good.
The Astros set the tone early. Zach Cole opened the game with a triple and came home on a balk, and Houston added on in the second when Riley Unroe doubled and later scored on a two-run single from Nick Allen to make it 3-0.
New York chipped away before breaking through. AJ Salgado tripled and scored on a Francisco Alvarez single in the fifth to cut the lead to 3-1. An inning later, the Mets erupted for five runs, highlighted by a bases-clearing double from Marcus Semien that pushed them in front 5-3.
Houston’s response came quickly and decisively.
Cam Smith was hit by a pitch to open the eighth, Jax Biggers worked a walk, and Walker jumped on a Ryan Lambert pitch, driving it out to left-center for a go-ahead three-run shot. Yainer Diaz followed by reaching after a successful ABS challenge, and James Nelson added insurance, bringing Diaz home on a Mets throwing error to extend the lead to 7-5.
Kai-Wei Teng picked up the win with a scoreless inning in relief, and Dylan Howard locked it down with two clean innings, striking out two to close it out.
Mike Burrows started and worked 5.1 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out two before a comeback grounder struck him on the left calf and ended his afternoon. Burrows said, “It’s a bruise; it’ll be fine,” capping what Espada called “one heck of a spring training.” Roddery Muñoz was charged with the blown save after allowing two runs in two-thirds of an inning, but the offense bailed him out. Kai-Wei Teng earned the win with a scoreless inning, and Dylan Howard closed it out with two clean frames and two strikeouts.
Walker finished 2-for-3 with three RBI, a timely reminder with Opening Day looming that his bat remains firmly in the mix.
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