<\/p>\n
Guest past by the new center field mural on Opening Day at Daikin Park, Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Houston.<\/p>\n
Jason Fochtman\/Houston Chronicle<\/p>\n
Guest Services worker Lillie Jackson cleans the seats and hand rails before guest enter Daikin Park on Opening Day, Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Houston. Jackson has worked the section for 18 of here 19 seasons. \u201cI just try to take care of all my guest,\u201d Jackson said paying particular attention to areas children put their hands. \u201cI can\u2019t get it all spotless, but I do my best so everyone has a great game experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jason Fochtman\/Houston Chronicle<\/p>\n
Opening Day merchandise is seen before an MLB Baseball game at Daikin Park, Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Houston.<\/p>\n
Jason Fochtman\/Houston Chronicle<\/p>\n
Bobbie Orr wears a decorated Astros-themed hat with pins before MLB baseball game on Opening Day at Daikin Park, Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Houston.<\/p>\n
Jason Fochtman\/Houston Chronicle<\/p>\n
The Houston Astros<\/a> open the 2026 season today at Daikin Park against the Los Angeles Angels.<\/p>\n After missing the postseason for the first time since 2016, the Astros are focused on a return.<\/p>\n Follow along with our staff at Daikin for all the opening-day scene and news.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Hunter Brown gets Oswald Peraza to ground out to second to leave the bases loaded in the fourth inning. It\u2019s still 0-0.\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Greg Rajan<\/p>\n An infield hit by Logan O\u2019Hoppe loads the bases with two outs for the Angels. Oswald Peraza, the No. 9 hitter, is coming up with a chance to bring in the game\u2019s first run.\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Greg Rajan<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Hunter Brown navigated his first 13 batters without allowing a hit, though he did issue three walks. An infield single by Yoan Moncada, on a bouncer over Brown\u2019s head, ended any chance of an opening day no-hitter. Jo Adell followed with a clean single through the right side of the infield.\u00a0\u2014 Matt Kawahara<\/p>\n The pitchers are ahead of the hitters so far. The Astros had the best scoring threat of the day with the bases loaded in the third.\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Greg Rajan<\/p>\n Kurt Suzuki, managing his first game for the Angels, intentionally walked Yordan Alvarez with a runner on second and two outs in the third inning of a scoreless game. Isaac Paredes then drew a walk to load the bases for Carlos Correa and spur a mound visit. Correa got a 99 mph sinker in the air, but for a harmless fly out to left.\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Matt Kawahara<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The Astros have loaded the bases on three walks, including an intentional one to Yordan Alvarez, with two outs in the third inning. Carlos Correa is coming up with the score still 0-0.\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Greg Rajan<\/p>\n Jake Meyers draws a nine-pitch walk with one out in the third inning, arguably the best Astros plate appearance of the day against Jos\u00e9 Soriano.\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Greg Rajan<\/p>\n Hunter Brown just walked Mike Trout for the second time, giving the Angels a runner with two outs in the third inning. Brown has yet to retire the side in order today. After striking out Nolan Schanuel to end the inning, Brown is at 58 pitches through three.\u00a0\u2014 Greg Rajan<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Angels starter Jos\u00e9 Soriano had a 4.26 ERA last season, but he was tough in two starts against the Astros. Soriano threw 13 \u2154 innings in those two starts, allowed one run and four hits and struck out 18. He just blew a 100.4 mph four-seamer past Carlos Correa for a strikeout in the second inning.<\/p>\n Soriano induced 15 whiffs on 24 swings his first time through the Astros\u2019 order.\u00a0\u2014 Matt Kawahara<\/p>\n The Astros fail to advance Joey Loperfido, who\u2019s retired on a fielder\u2019s choice to end the inning.\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Greg Rajan<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The Astros’ first hit of the season is an opposite-field hit by Joey Loperfido through the left side with one out in the second inning.\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Greg Rajan<\/p>\n Hunter Brown has not allowed a hit through two innings, but the Angels are making him work. His command is not pinpoint and Angels hitters are being patient. Brown is already at 43 pitches. The Angels have taken 15 swings and whiffed just four times.\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Matt Kawahara<\/p>\n Hunter Brown\u2019s next pitch will be his 40th. He\u2019s recorded five outs so far.\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Greg Rajan<\/p>\n Angels starter\u00a0Jos\u00e9\u00a0Soriano strikes out two in the first inning, with five combined whiffs\u00a0in that first inning.\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Greg Rajan<\/p>\n That roof shot by Yordan Alvarez was something else. It\u2019s not all that uncommon to see a high-hit ball hit the roof around the infield, but not sure I\u2019ve seen one hit the roof that deep in the outfield. He\u2019d rather hit another one into the Michelob Party Deck, but that was another impressive feat on his ledger.\u00a0\u2014 Matt Young<\/p>\n Yordan Alvarez just hit a ball so high that it clanged off a piece of scaffolding on the ceiling of Daikin Park. It might have been a home run but caromed foul and was ruled a foul ball. Joe Espada conferred with the umpires, who are reviewing the play. It\u2019s ruled a foul ball.\u00a0\u2014 Matt Kawahara<\/p>\n Hunter Brown, who ranked third in the American League with 206 strikeouts last year, struck out three Angels in his first inning around a walk to Mike Trout. Brown needed 22 pitches to get through the first. He finished Zach Neto with a fastball and Nolan Schanuel and Jorge Soler with curveballs.\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Matt Kawahara<\/p>\n Hunter Brown\u2019s second pitch of this game was a 98.6 mph sinker. It\u2019s tied for the second-fastest sinker he has thrown in the majors, per Baseball Savant. He then finished a strikeout of Zach Neto with a 97.7 mph four-seamer at the top of the zone.\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Matt Kawahara<\/p>\n Former Astros reliever and member of the 2022 World Series team Ryan Pressly delivered the \u201cPlay Ball\u201d call to many cheers from the Daikin Park crowd. Pressly retired this offseason and is the newest member of the Space City Home Network broadcast crew.\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Sam Warren<\/p>\n Astros bench coach Omar L\u00f3pez threw out the first pitch to bullpen catcher Javier Bracamonte with both wearing their Team Venezuela jerseys. Bracamonte had on his gold medal from Team Venezuela\u2019s win in the World Baseball Classic.\u00a0\u2014 Matt Kawahara<\/p>\n For the first time since the 2021 home opener, the Astros didn\u2019t unveil an American League West championship pennant. Their reign atop the division ended last season after winning every full-season West title beginning in 2017.\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Greg Rajan<\/p>\n When Jeremy Pe\u00f1a returns to the lineup, and the Astros\u2019 infield is at full strength, Dana Brown reiterated today that \u201cthe plan is that (Isaac) Paredes is going to play multiple positions.\u201d Paredes remains without a dedicated position in Houston\u2019s infield surplus. Brown echoed that Paredes could see time at first base, second, third and DH.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s got a lot of runway to get at-bats,\u201d Brown said. \u201cLook, we feel like in a season of 162 games these guys are going to play. Guys go down often with aches. So there\u2019s going to be at-bats. We have a lot of competition there, we have a lot of depth, and we welcome that.\u201d\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Matt Kawahara<\/p>\n In finalizing their opening day roster, the\u00a0Astros opted to carry prospect\u00a0Brice Matthews<\/a> in their final position player spot, while optioning outfield prospect Zach Cole to Triple-A Sugar Land.<\/p>\n \u201cBrice really had a pretty good spring,\u201d general manager Dana Brown said Thursday. \u201cHit the ball hard, stole some bases, can play multiple positions, looked really good out there. Really fine-tuned his two-strike approach, so he had a lot of quality at-bats.\u201d<\/p>\n A right-handed hitter, Matthews could platoon in left field with left-handed Joey Loperfido in the early going. (Yordan Alvarez is also expected to make occasional starts in left). His defensive versatility offers manager Joe Espada options for in-game maneuvers, as well.\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Matt Kawahara<\/p>\n Jake Meyers and Brice Matthews<\/a> both played baseball at Nebraska and have been closely following the basketball team\u2019s success this season. The Cornhuskers are in the Sweet 16 at Toyota Center after winning their first two games in school history in the NCAA Tournament. Will the pair be able to make it over for the 6:30 p.m. tip after a 3:10 p.m. first pitch for the Astros? Meyers isn\u2019t too hopeful but will have plenty of friends and family at that game against Iowa. Matthews is holding out hope.\u00a0\u2014 Sam Warren<\/p>\n While Joey Loperfido drew the opening-day start in left field for the Astros, Joe Espada indicated he will cycle multiple players through that position early in the season. Yordan Alvarez is expected to play some left field. And Brice Matthews, the lone right-handed hitter of those three options, is on the opening day roster as an option in left field, as well as at second base and center field.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll give these guys opportunities,\u201d Espada said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to play those guys out there and someone will take over and they\u2019ll start getting more opportunities to play. But right now, I really like our roster, I like the flexibility I have and we\u2019re going to see what we\u2019ve got.\u201d<\/p>\n Cam Smith will enter the season as the primary right fielder, Espada confirmed, reprising that role after his convincing spring.\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Matt Kawahara<\/p>\n Astros bench coach Omar L\u00f3pez is going to throw out the first pitch to the team\u2019s longtime bullpen catcher Javier Bracamonte before today\u2019s game. L\u00f3pez was the manager of Team Venezuela, which won the World Baseball Classic earlier this month. Bracamonte served as his bullpen catcher. Ryan Pressly, who was the closer for the Astros’ 2022 World Series championship team, will call \u201cPlay Ball!\u201d before the game.\u00a0Pressly recently was added to the Space City Home Network broadcast team after he retired from baseball in January.\u00a0\u2014 Matt Young<\/p>\n Christian Roa, the right-hander from Houston who attended Memorial High School and was in Astros camp this spring as a non-roster invitee, claimed a bullpen spot after allowing one run in 9 \u2154 innings in Grapefruit League play. Manager Joe Espada was asked pregame what he liked about Roa this spring.<\/p>\n \u201cStrike throwing,\u201d Espada said. \u201cWe asked him to do certain things against left-handed hitters and he did that, especially with his breaking balls. He used them effectively against both righties and lefties. And he\u2019s a guy that can give you more than three outs, something that we\u2019re going to need during the season.\u201d\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Matt Kawahara<\/p>\n If there was any question, it sounds like closer Josh Hader will definitely require longer<\/a> than a minimum 15-day IL stint as he continues building up from a biceps issue. GM Dana Brown said \u201cthe goal is to get (Hader) to start facing some batters in mid-April.\u201d Hader would likely need to face hitters multiple times before pitching in rehab games, so his recovery timeline could cover much of April.\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Matt Kawahara<\/p>\n