Houston’s bullpen could not keep Atlanta in check Friday night at Daikin Park, where the Braves used three two-run homers to beat the Astros 6-2 and secure a postseason berth. Atlanta has now won five straight games in Houston, a run that includes its 2021 World Series-clinching victory.
The result
The Braves were still without a hit with one out in the fourth when Matt Olson lined a single against Peter Lambert. Michael Harris II followed by driving a two-run homer, giving Atlanta the first break of the night.
Lambert ran into another problem in the sixth, loading the bases before AJ Blubaugh took over. Blubaugh escaped that inning by striking out Mike Yastrzemski and getting Austin Riley to line out to second base.
Atlanta went back to the long ball in the seventh. Blubaugh issued a one-out walk to Drake Baldwin, and Ronald Acuña Jr. sent a two-run shot to left field to make it 4-0.
Houston made its push in the eighth. Isaac Paredes delivered his second RBI single of the game, cutting the deficit to 4-2 and putting the tying runners aboard with two outs. Jose Altuve then sent a ball into shallow right, but Acuña covered the ground and made a diving catch to end the threat.
Olson supplied the final margin in the ninth, launching a two-run homer off Enyel De Los Santos.
Yordan Alvarez finished 1-for-2 with two walks and strengthened his hold atop the American League batting race. His average rose to .312, four points clear of Tampa Bay’s Chandler Simpson, who went 0-for-5 against Boston.
