Houston Astros’ Taylor Trammell, right, celebrates after his solo home run against the Detroit Tigers with Christian Vazquez (2) during the sixth inning of a baseball game Thursday, June 25, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
Duane Burleson/Associated Press
DETROIT — Tatsuya Imai tamed the Tigers lineup for six innings. Taylor Trammell ended a budding bid for perfection with a swing that produced a game’s only offense until the ninth. The Houston Astros tiptoed closer to .500.
In a pitcher’s duel at Comerica Park, Imai and two relievers held the Tigers to five hits in a tidy 2-1 win to begin a four-game series Thursday and mark a peak in the right-hander’s tumultuous season.
The Astros managed just five hits, as well. Yet they inched their record to 40-43, their closest proximity to even since April 15, with their 20th win in their last 32 games.
Article continues below this ad
Both starters were brilliant. Each allowed two hits across six innings. Imai struck out 10 over six scoreless frames, baffling the Tigers with his slider. Troy Melton was perfect for five innings against Houston hitters who managed hardly any sharp contact.
Melton blinked first, when Trammell blasted a slider for a one-out homer in the sixth. A single by Jeremy Peña yielded the only other baserunner Melton allowed. Imai outdueled him, still, scattering two singles and a walk and ceding a 1-0 lead to his bullpen in the seventh.
With that unit depleted, AJ Blubaugh worked two leverage innings, retiring six of seven batters he faced, three by strikeout, and navigating Hao-Yu Lee’s two-out single in the eighth.
Article continues below this ad
Peña helped manufacture an insurance run in the ninth that proved critical. After a leadoff single against Kenley Jansen, the leadoff hitter stole second base, advanced to third on a groundout by Yordan Alvarez and scored on a sacrifice fly from Isaac Paredes.
Josh Hader and Steven Okert had pitched each of the previous two days. Bryan King had worked three of the last four days. Enyel De Los Santos drew the ninth inning in a save situation, as a result.
Dillon Dingler sent a first-pitch fastball from De Los Santos over the center-field wall for a one-out homer that halved Detroit’s deficit. Riley Greene followed with a line-drive single. Colt Keith pulled a changeup sharply — but straight to first baseman Christian Walker, who started a game-ending double play.
Houston Astros’ Tatsuya Imai, left, celebrates with Taylor Trammell, right, after leaving a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers during the sixth inning Thursday, June 25, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
Duane Burleson/Associated Press
Imai sharp again
This was arguably Imai’s best start with the Astros. He threw the first six innings of a combined no-hitter against Texas but battled his command and walked four in that game. He struck out 11 in his last outing against the Guardians but also yielded six hits and three runs.
Article continues below this ad
The Tigers hardly touched him. Imai struck out 10 and, again, did not walk a batter. He induced 16 whiffs and an average 89 mph exit velocity on 10 balls put in play. Greene pulled a groundball single in the fourth. Kevin McGonigle lined a single up the middle in the sixth. Imai allowed no other hits.
Imai threw his fastball in-zone 65% of the time, per Statcast, and got Tigers hitters to chase his slider at a 41% clip. He induced 14 whiffs on 23 swings against the slider and finished nine strikeouts with the pitch. Four pitches classified as sliders were likely splitters or changeups given their spin rate.
In two starts since he failed to finish one inning June 12 in Kansas City, Imai has struck out 21 hitters and walked none across 12 innings. For the right-hander in his transitional season to Major League Baseball, perhaps a corner has been turned.
Trammell foils bid for perfection
Melton, making his sixth start this season and 10th in the majors, retired his first 16 hitters in order. The right-hander benefited from a bump in velocity, his four-seam fastball averaging 97.2 mph over his first five innings, compared to 95.7 mph in his previous five outings. He mixed six pitches, all of which Astros hitters struggled to square up.
Article continues below this ad
Melton recorded six of his first 15 outs via strikeout. None of nine balls put into play against him carried an exit velocity above 93.9 mph. Just four reached an outfielder.
Houston’s lone victory in the first five innings was making Melton throw 75 pitches. He induced a flyout from Cam Smith to open the sixth. Trammell, then, tattooed a slider to right field. The ball left his bat at 110.5 mph, the only question whether it would stay fair. It did — for a 422-foot home run that foiled any aspirations Detroit held for history.
The home run was Trammell’s second in as many games played. He had zero in his first 30 games for the Astros this season. Tuesday, Trammell hit a solo homer as part of Houston’s back-to-back-to-back blasts that reached the upper deck at Rogers Centre, a drive that nonetheless was estimated at 421 feet — one foot shorter than Thursday’s.
Houston Astros’ AJ Blubaugh pitches against the Detroit Tigers during the eighth inning of a baseball game Thursday, June 25, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
Duane Burleson/Associated Press
Houston Astros’ Tatsuya Imai reacts after giving up a walk to Detroit Tigers’ Dillon Dingler during the first inning of a baseball game Thursday, June 25, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
Duane Burleson/Associated Press
Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes (15) throws out Detroit Tigers’ Kerry Carpenter at first base during the first inning of a baseball game Thursday, June 25, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
Duane Burleson/Associated Press
Houston Astros’ Tatsuya Imai pitchs against the Detroit Tigers during the first inning of a baseball game Thursday, June 25, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
Duane Burleson/Associated Press
Detroit Tigers’ Troy Melton pitches against the Houston Astros during the first inning of a baseball game Thursday, June 25, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
Duane Burleson/Associated Press
Rotation note
Hunter Brown will start Sunday’s series finale against the Tigers, manager Joe Espada said pregame. The Astros had not announced starters for the series’ last two games.
Article continues below this ad
Espada did not name a starter for Saturday. Cristian Javier could start that game on five days’ rest if the Astros activate him from the injured list, which Espada this week termed a possibility.
Injury updates
Infielders Nick Allen and Braden Shewmake could begin minor-league rehab assignments this weekend in their injury recoveries. Allen is returning from a hamstring strain and Shewmake from an adductor strain.
Outfielder LaMonte Wade Jr., returning from a hamstring strain, could begin playing in rehab games early next week.
Right-handers Lance McCullers Jr. and Ronel Blanco both made rehab starts Thursday. McCullers, who is recovering from a rotator cuff impingement, was slated for 40-45 pitches with Triple-A Sugar Land in his first rehab start. Blanco, returning from Tommy John surgery, was targeted for three innings or about 55 pitches in his outing with Double-A Corpus Christi.
Hayden Wesneski, also returning from Tommy John surgery, faced hitters in live batting practice Thursday and could begin a rehab assignment next week if he responds well.