One swing at Citizens Bank Park
Jhoan Duran threw a splitter. First pitch of the at-bat. Cam Smith did not wait.
The Houston rookie sent it 421 feet to dead centre in the top of the ninth on Thursday, and the Astros walked out of Philadelphia with a 2-1 win and two games out of three. Smith homered in every game of the series, which reads strangely for a hitter who had not gone deep since Aug. 18.
Houston moved to 75-72 and pushed its American League West lead to two and a half games over Texas. Philadelphia fell to 82-65 and slipped four games behind Atlanta in the National League East. The Phillies head to Atlanta for three this weekend, so the margin will not stay theoretical for long.
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Javier gives the Phillies a flashback
Cristian Javier handed Houston six innings of one-run, three-hit baseball. Philadelphia did not manage a hit until the fifth, and the home crowd knew exactly what that felt like. Javier threw the first six innings of the combined no-hitter that beat the Phillies in Game 4 of the 2022 World Series.
Luis Arraez ended the suspense with a leadoff single in the fifth. Alec Bohm doubled behind him. Bryson Stott grounded one through to bring Arraez home, but Bohm was thrown out at third on the play and Brandon Marsh grounded into a double play. One run from a promising inning. That was the afternoon in miniature for Philadelphia.
Zack Wheeler was every bit as sharp and got nothing for it: seven innings, one run, five hits, nine strikeouts. Houston’s run against him arrived early, Christian Walker singling with one out in the second and scoring on a two-out double from Taylor Trammell.
The bullpens settle it
Jose Alvarado survived a rocky eighth for the Phillies. Bryan Abreu answered by striking out the side in the bottom half, which set the table for Smith. Duran now carries a 2-6 record and the memory of one splitter that stayed up.
Josh Hader worked a clean ninth for his 25th save. Houston leaves the east coast with its division lead intact and a rookie who has picked a useful week to find his swing.
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