Houston Astros designated hitter Jeremy Peña (3) celebrates his two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning against Texas Rangers at Daikin Pak in Houston on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026.
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Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz (21) congratulates pitcher AJ Blubaugh (69)after the final out against Texas Rangers at Daikin Pak in Houston on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026. Houston Astros won the game 7-3 and swept the three-game series.
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Houston Astros shortstop Nick Allen (20) gets Texas Rangers catcher Austin Wynns (38) out at first for the last out of the game at Daikin Pak in Houston on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026. Houston Astros won the game 7-3 and swept the three-game series.
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at Daikin Pak in Houston on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026.
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Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker (8) gestures after hitting a double against Texas Rangers at Daikin Pak in Houston on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026.
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Houston Astros left fielder Yordan Alvarez (44) reacts to hitting into an out against Texas Rangers in the sixth inning at Daikin Pak in Houston on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026.
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Houston Astros catcher Christian Vázquez (2) gives a thumbs up after hitting a single in the sixth inning against the Texas Rangers at Daikin Pak in Houston on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026.
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Houston Astros designated hitter Jeremy Peña (3) celebrates his two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning against Texas Rangers at Daikin Pak in Houston on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026.
Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle
Houston Astros designated hitter Jeremy Peña (3) celebrates his two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning against Texas Rangers at Daikin Pak in Houston on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026.
Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle
Houston Astros right fielder Cam Smith (11), right, celebrates with designated hitter Jeremy Peña (3) after Peña’s two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning against Texas Rangers at Daikin Pak in Houston on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026.
Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle
Houston Astros designated hitter Jeremy Peña (3) celebrates his two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning against Texas Rangers at Daikin Pak in Houston on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026.
Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle
Houston Astros designated hitter Jeremy Peña (3) celebrates his two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning against Texas Rangers at Daikin Pak in Houston on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026.
Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle
Texas Rangers third baseman Ezequiel Duran (20) tries to get Houston Astros right fielder Cam Smith (11) out at first during the fourth inning at Daikin Pak in Houston on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026.
Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle
Houston Astros pitcher Peter Lambert (38) pitches in the fourth inning against the Texas Rangers at Daikin Pak in Houston on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026.
Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle
Houston Astros center fielder Taylor Trammell (26) runs out of the line while trying to avoid getting tagged by Texas Rangers catcher Elias Díaz (35) at Daikin Pak in Houston on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026.
Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle
Houston Astros left fielder Yordan Alvarez (44) is congratulated in the dugout after scoring of a hit by Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) at Daikin Pak in Houston on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026.
Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle
Houston Astros right fielder Cam Smith (11) celebrates a double against the Texas Rangers in the second inning at Daikin Pak in Houston on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026.
Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle
Houston Astros designated hitter Jeremy Peña (3) reacts to connecting for a single in the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Daikin Pak in Houston on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026.
Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle
Houston Astros left fielder Yordan Alvarez (44) prepares to hit against Texas Rangers in the first inning at Daikin Pak in Houston on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026.
Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle
Houston Astros left fielder Yordan Alvarez (44) prepares to hit against Texas Rangers in the first inning at Daikin Pak in Houston on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026.
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Texas Rangers pitcher Kumar Rocker (80)at Daikin Pak in Houston on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026.
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Texas Rangers pitcher Kumar Rocker (80)at Daikin Pak in Houston on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026.
Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle
Houston Astros pitcher Peter Lambert (38) pitches in the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Daikin Pak in Houston on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026.
Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle
Houston Astros pitcher Peter Lambert (38) pitches in the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Daikin Pak in Houston on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026.
Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle
Houston Astros pitcher Peter Lambert (38) pitches in the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Daikin Pak in Houston on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026.
Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle
Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) gets Texas Rangers designated hitter Joc Pederson (3) out at first in the first inning of game action at Daikin Pak in Houston on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026.
Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle
Houston Astros pitcher Peter Lambert (38) pitches in the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Daikin Pak in Houston on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026.
Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle
Help may arrive soon, but regardless the Houston Astros are streaking. August finds them authoring the type of push not seen before in a season they remain in position to salvage.
This weekend offered the Astros a chance to seize control of a depressing division. They used it to make a statement. With a sweep of their in-state rival, the Astros built a 2½-game lead in the AL West on the eve of a trade deadline at which their front office has pledged to buy.
What additions loom for Houston remain to be seen, but its current roster is compiling its best stretch this year. A 7-3 win over the Texas Rangers on Sunday at Daikin Park was its 11th in its last 12 games, a midsummer surge that propelled them into first place this weekend.
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Houston broke a 3-3 tie by sending nine batters to the plate in the seventh inning. Cam Smith struck a go-ahead single and LaMonte Wade Jr. beat a bases-loaded infield single on a defensive breakdown by Texas. The bases were still loaded as Yordan Alvarez strode to the plate with two outs.
Alvarez, the American League leader in all three Triple Crown categories, ripped a two-run double into the right field corner that capped the inning. The Astros totaled 15 hits in the series finale, enough to overcome a 4-for-19 showing with men in scoring position and 12 stranded runners.
A spate of scoring chances against Rangers starter Kumar Rocker yielded just a 3-0 lead for Houston after four innings. The Astros went hitless in their first eight at-bats with a runner in scoring position against the right-hander. An infield hit by Jose Altuve produced their first run. Jeremy Peña lined a two-run home run into the first row of the Crawford Boxes in the fourth.
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Houston starter Peter Lambert had not allowed a baserunner to that point. But the Rangers countered in the fifth, scoring two runs on singles by Evan Carter and Ezequiel Duran. Lambert worked into the sixth, when left-hander Steven Okert replaced him and notched the inning’s final out. Houston sent Okert back for the seventh. Brandon Nimmo met him with a game-tying home run.
Nimmo’s blast, on a 3-1 slider, was just the second home run allowed to a left-handed hitter this season by Okert, who awoke holding lefties to a .499 OPS. Bryan Abreu ended the inning, with two runners on base, with a called third strike to Nicky Lopez on a slider that pitch tracking showed low. Texas manager Skip Schumaker was ejected arguing between innings.
How Astros fared against Kumar Rocker
The Astros’ 3-2 lead entering the sixth could have been wider. They took 11 at-bats with a man in scoring position in the first five innings. Just one yielded a hit – the sharp groundball by Altuve that caromed off Rocker’s left leg for a two-out infield hit in the third inning, scoring Alvarez from third base for the game’s first run.
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Houston put runners on second and third with no outs and did not score. Cam Smith doubled to start the second and was stranded. After Altuve’s run-scoring single in the third, Taylor Trammell was caught too far off third base on a potential double steal and caught in a rundown, ending the inning. He didn’t count toward seven stranded runners for Houston in the first five frames.
Rocker returned to start the sixth but exited after a one-out single by Christian Vázquez turned the lineup over. The Astros amassed 10 hits against Rocker, who also issued two walks. Left-hander Robby Ahlstrom, who replaced him, plunked Peña with an 0-2 fastball. But Ahlstrom induced a pop-up from Alvarez and a soft lineout by Isaac Paredes, prolonging a search for timely hits.
How Peter Lambert fared on four days’ rest
Houston opted to bring Lambert back on four days’ rest to start the series finale, marking the fifth time the right-hander has pitched on four days’ rest this season. No other Astros starter has done that more than three times. In those five starts, Lambert owns a 1.74 ERA across 31 innings.
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Lambert retired his first 12 batters in a row Sunday. Seven went down via strikeout. Lambert generated 16 whiffs on 37 swings in his outing, a gaudy 43% whiff rate. That included eight whiffs on 15 swings on his four-seam fastball, which he used to finish six of his eight strikeouts.
Trammell made a running catch on a 405-foot fly ball by Carter to center to end the second inning. Just one other Ranger hit a ball to the outfield before the fifth inning, when their first four hitters all reached safety to interrupt Lambert’s rhythm.
Nimmo, behind 1-2 in the count, worked a walk to give Texas its first baserunner. Jake Burger chopped a single into left field. Carter singled to right, scoring Nimmo, and was thrown out by the catcher, Vázquez, trying to advance to second.
Burger rumbled to third and scored when Duran lined a single. Lambert induced a double-play grounder by Elias Díaz to end the inning. He notched two outs in the sixth before a walk brought up Corey Seager with the tying run on base and led the Astros to summon Okert.
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Jeremy Peña and Yordan Alvarez stay hot
With two hits, Peña extended his hitting streak to 14 games, a stretch in which he has been among the sport’s most productive hitters. Peña is 26-for-60 with seven home runs during the hitting streak, which has raised his season OPS from .773 to .904.
Alvarez struck hits in each of his first three at-bats, two doubles and a dribbler up the third-base line for an infield single. His seventh-inning double gave Alvarez his 13th career four-hit game. He ended the day with his majors-leading OPS at 1.092.