Christian Walker hit an early three-run homer and the visiting Houston Astros held on for a 6-5 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday.
Philadelphia (81-64) rallied from a 5-0 deficit to get within 6-5 on Edmundo Sosa’s ninth-inning RBI double against Josh Hader. However, the Houston closer recovered to get the next three hitters, including Kyle Schwarber on a game-ending popout.
Hayden Wesneski (5-1) allowed three runs and five hits over six innings for Houston (74-71), while counterpart Andrew Painter (3-9) was charged with five runs and 10 hits in five frames.
Daulton Varsho homered for the Astros as part of a 3-for-5 night, while Cam Smith also went deep for the visitors. Walker finished with two hits, as did Yainer Diaz.
Trea Turner registered two hits, including a homer, for the Phillies.
After an uneventful first inning, Houston plated four runs in the second frame against Painter.
Varsho doubled to open the inning and advanced on a single by Diaz. The next hitter was Walker, who launched a shot over the fence in left-center field to make it 3-0. The Astros tacked on another run when Jeremy Pena delivered an RBI double later in the frame.
Smith’s leadoff home run in the fourth made it 5-0.
Wesneski faced the minimum through three innings, allowing one hit that was promptly erased on a double play. He had no issues in the fourth or fifth innings, but the Phillies finally got to him in the sixth.
Justin Crawford’s one-out double set the stage for Schwarber’s RBI single. Two pitches later, Turner sent one over the left-field wall to get the hosts within 5-3.
Varsho answered with a home run of his own in the seventh – a solo shot against Brooks Raley – to increase the lead to 6-3.
Philadelphia got a run back on Brandon Marsh’s seventh-inning RBI double. However, with two runners in scoring position, the Phillies failed to plate another run, as J.T. Realmuto lined into a double play against AJ Blubaugh and Derek Hill struck out against Bennett Sousa.
Houston’s Bryan Abreu worked around a pair of baserunners in the eighth before Hader escaped the ninth to earn his 24th save.
