HOUSTON – (Wire Service Report) – Houston’s starting pitcher Hunter Brown threw 6 2/3 strong innings and his battery-mate Yainer Diaz drove in three runs as the Astros beat the visiting Boston Red Sox, 4-1, on Wednesday in the rubber match of the three-game series.
Brown (10-5) snapped a six-start winless streak by producing his 15th quality start of the season. Diaz finished 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and an RBI single to pace the Houston offense.
The Astros scored two runs against Red Sox starter Walker Buehler (7-7) in the bottom of the first inning. Jeremy Pena led off the frame with his 13th homer, drilling a 3-1 fastball 358 feet out to left field. Jose Altuve and Victor Caratini then worked walks before Diaz lined the first pitch he saw to left for an RBI double.
Buehler then found his stride. He retired Ramon Urias to strand two runners and initiate a stretch in which he retired 15 of 16 batters, needing only four pitches to complete the bottom of the fifth.
But after retiring Altuve and Christian Walker to open the sixth, Buehler issued a four-pitch walk to Caratini before Diaz struck again, blasting a 415-foot homer to left-center, his 17th homer of the season, to extend the lead to three runs.
Buehler allowed four runs on four hits and four walks, with three strikeouts, over six innings.
Brown retired the Red Sox in order in the first but scuffled an inning later, allowing four baserunners as Boston sliced its two-run deficit in half. Trevor Story, who reached on a leadoff double, scored on Ceddanne Rafaela’s two-out single to center field.
Brown eluded further trouble with a strikeout of Connor Wong then retired the side in order in the third and fifth innings and stranded Jarren Duran at third to cap the sixth. Brown allowed one run on six hits and three walks with four strikeouts.
Bennett Sousa relieved Brown with two outs in the seventh and struck out Roman Anthony to end that frame. Bryan Abreu notched his first save while stranding a pair of runners in the ninth.
–Field Level Media