In an opening-month rematch of last year’s World Series, the world-champion Astros went into Sunday Night Baseball focussed on avoiding a sweep at the hands of the runner-up Phillies. Jose Urquidy took the mound for the Astros against Bailey Falter for the visiting Phillies.
The Astros started off strong in the bottom of the first with a bases-loaded RBI for Jose Abreu, which scored Jeremy Pena from third. The Phillies would respond in the top of the second with a home run from J.T. Realmuto to left field. Martin Maldonado would homer in the bottom half of the inning to give the Astros a 2-1 lead.
Jake Myers mashed a 406-foot home run to center in the bottom of the fourth to extend the lead to 3-1 for the home team. Kody Clemens homered for the Phillies for the second consecutive game, making it a one-run ballgame.
Houston would, in essence, put the game away with a Kyle Tucker single with two men on base, which scored Alex Bregman. Philadelphia would add another run in the form of a Kyle Schwarber run scored on an error. The Astros took the series’ final game to avoid a sweep by the team they defeated for the World Series title last year.
The Astros sit in second place in the AL West, two games behind their in-state rival Texas Rangers at 15-13. Houston will welcome the San Francisco Giants to Minute Maid Park for an early-week series starting on Monday.
