After a humbling weekend, Jeremy Peña called for urgency. He then walked the walk, homering in all three games against the Marlins to spark the Astros to a sweep that has them back near the AL West lead.
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Houston Astros Yordan Alvarez, right, celebrates with Jeremy Peña (3) after hitting a 2-run home run to give the Astros a 4-2 lead during the eighth inning of an MLB baseball game in Houston, Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
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Houston Astros Yordan Alvarez celebrates in the dugout after hitting a 2-run home run to give the Astros a 4-2 lead during the eighth inning of an MLB baseball game in Houston, Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
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Houston Astros Isaac Paredes (15) reacts after hitting a solo home run during the eighth inning of an MLB baseball game in Houston, Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
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Houston Astros Yordan Alvarez, right, celebrates with Jeremy Peña (3) after hitting a 2-run home run to give the Astros a 4-2 lead during the eighth inning of an MLB baseball game in Houston, Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
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Houston Astros Yordan Alvarez reacts after hitting a 2-run home run to give the Astros a 4-2 lead during the eighth inning of an MLB baseball game in Houston, Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
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Houston Astros Yordan Alvarez hits a 2-run home run to give the Astros a 4-2 lead during the eighth inning of an MLB baseball game in Houston, Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
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Houston Astros relief pitcher Enyel de Los Santos (65) reacts after striking out Miami Marlins right fielder Esteury Ruiz during the seventh inning of an MLB baseball game in Houston, Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
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Houston Astros relief pitcher Enyel de Los Santos (65) reacts after striking out Miami Marlins right fielder Esteury Ruiz during the seventh inning of an MLB baseball game in Houston, Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
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Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes (15) looks for a play to be reviewed after Miami Marlins Esteury Ruiz slide into third base and dislodged the ball from Parades during the seventh inning of an MLB baseball game in Houston, Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
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Houston Astros Christian Walker (8) reacts after striking out to end the sixth inning of an MLB baseball game in Houston, Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
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Houston Astros Jeremy Peña (3) hits a single during the fifth inning of an MLB baseball game in Houston, Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
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Houston Astros pitcher Peter Lambert (38) fields a toss from first baseman Christian Walker to get out Miami Marlins Xavier Edwards during the fifth inning of an MLB baseball game in Houston, Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
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Houston Astros left fielder Lucas Spence (28) fields a fly ball by Miami Marlins Otto Lopez during the fifth inning of an MLB baseball game in Houston, Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
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Houston Astros pitcher Peter Lambert (38) walks back to the dugout after giving up a pair of runs during the fourth inning of an MLB baseball game in Houston, Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
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Houston Astros right fielder LaMonte Wade Jr. (31) throws to the infield alongside center fielder Lucas Spence after fielding Miami Marlins Javier Sanoja’s RBI double off the wall during the fourth inning of an MLB baseball game in Houston, Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
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Houston Astros Jeremy Peña (3) reacts in the dugout after hitting a solo home during the third inning of an MLB baseball game in Houston, Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
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Houston Astros Jeremy Peña, right, celebrates with Isaac Paredes after hitting a solo home during the third inning of an MLB baseball game in Houston, Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
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Houston Astros Jeremy Peña celebrates after hitting a solo home during the third inning of an MLB baseball game in Houston, Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
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Houston Astros Lucas Spence (28) is tagged out y Miami Marlins catcher Joe Mack attempting to steal home during the second inning of an MLB baseball game in Houston, Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
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Houston Astros Christian Vázquez (2) bunts the ball to Miami Marlins first baseman Kyle Stowers during the second inning of an MLB baseball game in Houston, Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
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Houston Astros Nick Allen (20) reacts after hitting a RBI single during the second inning of an MLB baseball game in Houston, Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
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Houston Astros Nick Allen (20) dives back to first after hitting a RBI single during the second inning of an MLB baseball game in Houston, Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
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Houston Astros Nick Allen (20) hits a RBI single during the second inning of an MLB baseball game in Houston, Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
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Houston Astros Lucas Spence (28) hits into a force out during the second inning of an MLB baseball game in Houston, Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
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Houston Astros Christian Walker (8) hits a single during the second inning of an MLB baseball game in Houston, Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
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Houston Astros pitching coach Josh Miller, right, talks with starting pitcher Peter Lambert during the first inning of an MLB baseball game in Houston, Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
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Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña (3) tries to field a throw to second to get out Miami Marlins Heriberto Hernández during the first inning of an MLB baseball game in Houston, Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
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Houston Astros starting pitcher Peter Lambert (38) delivers during the first inning of an MLB baseball game in Houston, Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
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Houston Astros closer Bryan Abreu (52) delivers during the ninth inning of an MLB baseball game in Houston, Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
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Houston Astros closer Bryan Abreu (52) delivers during the ninth inning of an MLB baseball game in Houston, Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
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Houston Astros draft prospect Jack Radel speaks to the media before an MLB baseball game in Houston, Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
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Houston Astros draft prospect Logan Hughes speaks to the media before an MLB baseball game in Houston, Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
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Houston Astros draft prospect Jack Radel, right, visits with manager Joe Espada before an MLB baseball game in Houston, Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
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In a sparse clubhouse last Sunday, silent but for him, Jeremy Peña sounded a note of urgency. A sweep by the Orioles had left the Houston Astros seven games under .500 and, in the shortstop’s words, “at a point in the season where we need to start getting results now.”
A club populated by veterans and steeped in playoff runs isn’t prone to panic, making Peña’s appraisal about as direct as any offered this summer. Awaiting a significant push that has yet to materialize, it is testing the limits of patience.
Less than two weeks remain until a trade deadline at which Houston has stated it will be a buyer. Last weekend hardly supported the stance, as three lackluster losses out of the All-Star break dropped the Astros further in the standings of a forlorn American League.
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“For us, it was a slap in the face,” designated hitter Yordan Alvarez said Wednesday night, through an interpreter. “I think it was a slap in the face for us to wake up and respond to that and be able to go out there and play the way we can.”
For three nights against a spiraling opponent, they did. The Astros responded to Baltimore’s sweep by sweeping the Marlins to inch back to within four games of .500. A win in Wednesday’s finale left them two games back in the AL West and 3 ½ games out of a wild-card spot.
Houston did not trail at the end of any inning during the series. Its offense scored 18 runs in the three games, fueled by Peña, who missed half of the Baltimore series due to a hamstring cramp, and whose impact on the lineup was on full display.
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Peña is the Astros’ sparkplug, if not necessarily their spokesman. Third baseman Carlos Correa is that voice when healthy, but ankle surgery has sidelined him for the season. Peña’s candor after the Orioles series invited question of whether a similar message was shared in the clubhouse.
“I feel like in this clubhouse it doesn’t need to be said,” Peña said Wednesday night. “The expectation is to win. And we know that when we’re not doing that, everyone’s on the same page — how do we get there? Everyone’s showing up every day, everyone’s trying to figure it out.”
A pivot, still, needed to occur. Peña helped provide it Monday night with a grand slam that keyed a six-run second inning, equaling the Houston offense’s output in three games against Baltimore. He led off the first inning with a home run Tuesday, then, in a game in which the Astros never trailed.
BATTERS
AVG
OBA
AB
R
H
2B
3B
HR
RBI
BB
SO
SB
CS
E
Team Totals
.242
.315
3488
473
843
156
8
142
452
341
841
35
14
43
Alvarez
.328
.433
372
69
122
20
0
34
77
66
76
1
0
2
Peña
.302
.362
212
42
64
9
0
9
28
17
38
8
1
5
Correa
.279
.369
122
22
34
8
0
3
16
18
26
1
0
1
Delgado
.273
.314
33
3
9
1
0
1
4
2
5
0
0
2
Paredes
.263
.354
354
42
93
18
1
14
54
39
62
0
0
6
Shewmake
.256
.272
78
10
20
4
0
3
9
2
13
0
0
2
Allen
.242
.288
95
14
23
3
0
1
11
6
23
2
0
2
Diaz
.238
.267
181
20
43
9
0
6
23
7
30
0
1
2
Walker
.234
.309
372
50
87
19
1
20
58
33
97
0
0
0
Altuve
.232
.300
306
47
71
14
1
12
29
29
74
2
2
3
Trammell
.231
.290
121
14
28
5
1
3
12
9
44
1
1
1
Dezenzo
.231
.306
65
11
15
4
0
1
3
7
27
1
0
1
Harris
.226
.286
31
4
7
0
1
0
4
2
6
2
0
0
Loperfido
.216
.314
102
13
22
7
1
1
12
14
31
1
1
1
Smith
.210
.283
334
39
70
13
1
12
34
32
90
10
1
4
Vázquez
.210
.265
181
18
38
6
0
5
22
14
35
1
0
0
Meyers
.206
.264
136
14
28
6
0
3
11
10
30
1
2
0
Spence
.200
.273
20
2
4
1
0
0
1
2
6
0
1
0
Matthews
.197
.250
208
23
41
5
1
7
22
15
71
4
4
1
Wade
.170
.304
47
8
8
2
0
2
8
9
13
0
0
0
Price
.167
.231
12
1
2
1
0
0
0
1
6
0
0
1
Cole
.157
.189
51
4
8
1
0
3
8
1
21
0
0
1
Johnson
.143
.294
14
1
2
0
0
0
0
2
3
0
0
0
Whitcomb
.130
.167
23
2
3
0
0
2
5
1
11
0
0
0
Salazar
.056
.227
18
0
1
0
0
0
1
3
3
0
0
0
___
PITCHERS
W
L
ERA
G
GS
SV
IP
H
R
ER
HR
BB
SO
Team Totals
50
54
4.71
104
104
30
921.1
829
518
482
142
453
915
Ullola
0
0
0.00
2
0
0
4
2
0
0
0
0
7
Meyers
0
0
0.00
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
Santa
0
1
1.17
10
0
0
15.1
8
6
2
1
6
9
Hader
3
1
1.47
20
0
11
18.1
10
3
3
1
8
29
VanWey
1
0
1.50
5
0
0
6
5
2
1
0
0
5
Okert
3
1
2.13
50
1
0
50.2
30
13
12
5
12
52
Lambert
8
5
3.03
17
17
0
98
72
33
33
11
38
94
King
2
3
3.40
42
0
6
45
43
19
17
6
16
35
Pearson
1
0
3.60
16
0
1
20
16
10
8
1
12
16
Blubaugh
4
2
3.86
38
0
0
63
50
28
27
8
31
66
Brown
1
1
4.05
8
8
0
40
30
20
18
5
28
43
De Los Santos
1
3
4.12
45
0
5
48
44
25
22
5
12
46
Teng
4
6
4.21
24
10
0
66.1
60
35
31
10
29
66
Arrighetti
7
5
4.34
16
16
0
87
66
44
42
12
48
87
Roa
0
1
5.19
7
0
0
8.2
10
5
5
1
7
6
Abreu
2
3
5.29
37
0
6
34
27
22
20
7
27
43
Bolton
0
1
5.40
8
3
1
20
21
12
12
3
14
22
Imai
6
4
5.59
14
14
0
58
49
36
36
9
36
71
Burrows
4
9
5.99
18
17
0
94.2
112
69
63
21
35
75
Sousa
0
0
6.23
6
0
0
4.1
3
3
3
0
5
5
McCullers
2
3
6.86
8
8
0
39.1
38
32
30
7
22
43
Murray
0
0
7.43
8
0
0
13.1
19
11
11
1
7
8
Weiss
0
3
7.62
9
2
0
26
35
24
22
8
20
30
Blanco
0
0
7.71
1
1
0
4.2
2
4
4
2
3
8
France
0
0
8.10
3
0
0
6.2
6
6
6
1
5
4
Salazar
0
0
9.00
1
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
Alexander
1
1
9.33
4
2
0
18.1
21
19
19
4
8
14
Javier
0
1
9.37
7
4
0
16.1
21
17
17
3
15
14
Gordon
0
0
11.57
4
1
0
9.1
21
12
12
6
3
11
Muñoz
0
0
15.75
3
0
0
4
7
7
7
3
6
6
In the finale, Peña struck three more hits against Miami ace Sandy Alcantara, including a home run and an infield single that preceded Alvarez’s tiebreaking two-run home run in the eighth inning of a 5-2 win. Those two and Isaac Paredes did enough damage to carry Houston’s top-heavy lineup in the series.
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“I feel like my job in the leadoff spot is to kind of set the tone for the team, whether that’s to get on base, whether that’s to see what the pitcher’s got for that day,” Peña said. “But I feel like Yordan is putting together such a special season that you obviously want to be on base when he’s up to bat.”
Peña and Alvarez combined to go 12-for-24 with six home runs during the series, driving in 10 of the 18 runs Houston scored. Paredes drove in four, three on a pivotal home run Tuesday that followed Alvarez sprinting to first base on a third-strike wild pitch to extend the inning.
Alvarez ended Wednesday leading the majors in home runs and RBIs and second in batting average, a legitimate Triple Crown contender anchoring the Astros’ lineup. It’s worth noting, still, that the Astros are 29-24 this season when Peña is in the starting lineup and 21-30 when he is not.
The dynamic their top three hitters displayed against Miami enhances the argument for the Astros to augment their roster before the Aug. 3 trade deadline. So does a division in which no club was above .500 as of Wednesday night, mediocrity keeping them afloat despite a 50-54 record.
Nine games remain for Houston until the deadline, the last three against the AL West-leading Rangers. Road series against the White Sox and Angels could bring clarity to its approach. Sweeping the Marlins, at least, avoided amplifying questions about whether it should consider an about-face.
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“That’s a great bounce-back from last series,” Peña said. “It was a tough one. But we turned the page and showed up, played great baseball, and that’s what we’ve got to keep doing moving forward.”
Alcantara allowed only Peña’s solo home run and an RBI single by Nick Allen in his first seven innings Wednesday. In a tied game, and at 97 pitches, the right-hander returned to the mound for the eighth.
Peña bounced his first-pitch sinker up the middle. Marlins shortstop Otto Lopez speared it, but a quick throw to first forced by Peña’s speed sailed wide. That brought up Alvarez, who had gone back-to-back with Peña after the former’s grand slam in Monday’s series opener.
“I always joke around with him about that; I like for him to do that stuff and motivate me,” Alvarez said.
Alvarez, whose exploits this year have at times left teammates awed, sent a 1-1 fastball from Alcantara into an archway in left-center field at Daikin Park for his 34th home run of the season. Paredes added an insurance run by hitting a full-count fastball from Alcantara over the Crawford Boxes.
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It punctuated a series that realized the results called for by Peña, who owns a .354/.395/.608 slash line across his Past 21 games, a timely surge to mirror the one his team seeks.
“Jeremy is one of our leaders,” manager Joe Espada said. “He’s our sparkplug in our lineup, both sides of the ball, and he couldn’t have said it any better. We need to carry this momentum. This is the time.”