The Houston Astros couldn’t hold an early lead Sunday, falling 7-2 to the San Diego Padres at Petco Park as Cristian Javier surrendered two home runs over five innings. Houston finished with just two hits—its lowest total of the season—and dropped its second straight series despite remaining atop the American League West.
Houston grabbed the lead in the second inning when Taylor Trammell singled ahead of new addition Daulton Varsho, who battled Randy Vásquez to a full count before driving a two-run homer to right. The blast was Varsho’s first since June 20 and his first extra-base hit since arriving from Toronto at the trade deadline.
The advantage didn’t last long. Jackson Merrill worked the count to two strikes before launching a solo homer in the second, then Fernando Tatis Jr. turned a 2-1 changeup into a three-run shot two innings later to give San Diego a 4-2 lead.
Javier completed five innings, allowing four runs on eight hits while striking out two. After the game, manager Joe Espada said Javier’s stuff was good, but “the execution to put hitters away wasn’t as sharp.” The numbers backed that up, as six of San Diego’s eight hits against Javier came after he had already gotten ahead in the count.
Houston’s offense never recovered. After Varsho’s home run, the Astros managed just one more hit the rest of the afternoon as Vásquez, Kyle Hart, Bradgley Rodriguez, and Jeremiah Estrada combined to retire the final 22 Houston batters in order.
San Diego added insurance in the sixth when Gavin Sheets homered off A.J. Blubaugh. Austin Hays, activated before Sunday’s game after signing with the Padres, capped the scoring with a two-run pinch-hit homer against Bryan King in the eighth.
The Astros’ top of the order struggled throughout the series. Jeremy Peña went hitless in all three games, Yordan Alvarez finished 1-for-12, and Isaac Paredes batted 4-for-12, with the trio combining for just one RBI over the weekend.
Despite dropping consecutive series to Toronto and San Diego, Houston remained in first place after the Rangers also lost Sunday. The Astros enter Monday at 60-59, holding a half-game lead in the AL West.
Houston opens a three-game series against the Giants on Monday at Oracle Park. First pitch is scheduled for 8:45 p.m. Central, with Hayden Wesneski set to face Blade Tidwell.
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