Astros Survive a Late Phillies Rally for 6-5 Win Tuesday

The Houston Astros kicked off their series against the ​​Phillies Tuesday in Philadelphia. The Astros entered the series 73-71, and the Phillies 81-63. On paper, the Phillies should have this series in the bag, but you never know with this Astros team.

Hayden Wesneski took the mound for the Astros, coming off an excellent start against the Red Sox. Wesneski has been solid since returning from the IL, especially after missing so much time. Tuesday night was another solid start for the pitcher. He gave the Astros length, and that is exactly what they need. He went 6 innings, allowing five hits and three runs, with zero walks and three strikeouts. 

Daulton Varsho got things going for Houston, hitting his 23rd double of the season. Yainer Diaz followed with a deep single, but Varsho held up at third instead of trying to score, making sure the ball actually dropped first. It didn't matter anyway, because Christian Walker came up and crushed a three-run home run, putting the Astros on the board early, 3-0.

Andrew Painter closed out the first inning strong, but that didn't last. Peña, who struck out his first time up, came back with an RBI double in the second. Cam Smith, who'd walked earlier in the inning, ran through a stop sign but beat the throw home anyway, making it 4-0.

Painter had nothing left for the Astros in the fourth either, giving up another home run to Cam Smith to push the lead to 5-0.

Varsho kept making plays in center too, robbing the Phillies with a sliding catch, then another one at the wall.

Wesneski kept attacking the zone, holding the Phillies scoreless through the fifth. Philadelphia didn't even get a runner into scoring position until the sixth, but that's when things finally started slipping for Wesneski. He gave up a two-run homer that inning, and suddenly the Phillies had life again.

Varsho answered right back in the seventh with a solo shot of his own, making it 6-3. But he gave a run right back later in the game, missing a catch at the wall that let the Phillies cut the lead to two.

Smith made a great defensive play to open the bottom of the eighth, and Bryan Abreu built off that momentum to keep the inning scoreless.

Josh Hader came in to close it out, and for a second it looked like things might actually get away from him. He gave up a run, which almost never happens for Hader, he hadn't blown a save since July 12, 2025. But he settled in and got the job done, closing it out on a Schwarber pop-up. Final score: 6-5, Astros.

The Astros and Phillies are back at it Wednesday night, and Houston needs to keep this up if they want to take the series from a team like the Phillies.