Isaac Paredes drove in the go-ahead run in the 10th inning Sunday in Detroit before Christian Walker crushed a three-run homer to give the Astros some insurance.
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Houston Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown throws against the Detroit Tigers in the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, June 28, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Lon Horwedel)
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Detroit Tigers’ Zach McKinstry, center, celebrates with teammate Kerry Carpenter, left, at home after hitting a two-run home run against the Houston Astros in the second inning of a baseball game, Sunday, June 28, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Lon Horwedel)
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Detroit Tigers’ Zach McKinstry celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Houston Astros in the second inning of a baseball game, Sunday, June 28, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Lon Horwedel)
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Detroit Tigers’ Zach McKinstry celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Houston Astros in the second inning of a baseball game, Sunday, June 28, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Lon Horwedel)
Lon Horwedel/Associated Press
Detroit Tigers’ Zach McKinstry, right, watches his two-run home run against the Houston Astros in the second inning of a baseball game, Sunday, June 28, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Lon Horwedel)
Lon Horwedel/Associated Press
Houston Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown throws against the Detroit Tigers in the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, June 28, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Lon Horwedel)
Lon Horwedel/Associated Press
Detroit Tigers’ Colt Keith hits a double against the Houston Astros in the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, June 28, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Lon Horwedel)
Lon Horwedel/Associated Press
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Jack Flaherty throws against the Houston Astros in the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, June 28, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Lon Horwedel)
Lon Horwedel/Associated Press
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Jack Flaherty throws against the Houston Astros in the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, June 28, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Lon Horwedel)
Lon Horwedel/Associated Press
DETROIT — The Houston Astros staged another comeback Sunday against a bullpen susceptible to them, sustaining a series winning streak as a result.
Trailing the Tigers by three runs entering the seventh inning, the Astros pulled even on two home-run swings, then rode a four-run 10th to a 7-5 victory at Comerica Park. Houston took three of four games from Detroit for its fifth consecutive series win. Its record is 42-44.
After a seven-pitch ninth inning, veteran Kenley Jansen returned to the mound for the Tigers in the 10th. A walk to Yordan Alvarez brought up Isaac Paredes, who had tied the game with a home run two innings earlier. Paredes lined a two-strike cutter to right field for a single, driving in extra-innings runner Jeremy Peña from second base.
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Jansen built a 1-2 count on Christian Walker but could not put him away. Walker crushed the sixth pitch of the at-bat over the left-field fence, creating separation that proved critical.
Having spent most of their leverage relievers to force extras, the Astros deployed Enyel De Los Santos for the 10th. He allowed a two-run home run to Spencer Torkelson and the Tigers put the potential tying run on base before Matt Vierling flied out to the warning track in right field to end an eventful affair.
In their three wins in the series, the Astros scored 12 runs against Detroit’s bullpen. The Tigers entered the finale 27-12 this season when leading after six innings, with their 17 blown saves third-most in the majors. Houston erased a late two-run deficit in its win Saturday. The Astros began this series 2-38 this season when trailing after six innings. Their last two wins both came in that fashion.
A two-run home run by Raynel Delgado, the first in the majors for the rookie infielder, broke up a Detroit shutout bid in the seventh. Delgado drove a sweeper from left-hander Tyler Holton into the right-field seats with two outs, after an error on Vierling, the Tigers first baseman, had prolonged the inning.
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Two innings earlier, Delgado had also committed a costly error. Mishandling a two-out chopper by Riley Greene with a runner on second base allowed Detroit to push across a third run against Hunter Brown, who had settled in after Zach McKinstry’s two-run homer in the second inning.
Brown worked six innings. His counterpart Jack Flaherty blanked the Astros for five. They managed only two hits before the seventh. Paredes began the eighth with a home run against Kyle Finnegan to forge a 3-3 tie. A day earlier, Paredes had delivered a go-ahead two-run double in the eighth inning.
Houston rolled out its top leverage relievers to force extras. Steven Okert stranded two runners inherited from Bryan Abreu in the seventh. Bryan King worked the eighth. Josh Hader, who had retired 33 of his 37 batters faced entering Sunday, walked the bases loaded with two outs in the ninth.
Hader, pitching back-to-back days for the second time since returning from the IL, fired a 97 mph sinker past Greene to force extras. The Tigers went hitless in seven at-bats with a runner in scoring position in the first nine innings, leaving nine men on base.
Quality start for Brown
After completing just three innings in his last start in Toronto, Brown closer resembled his typical form, though the Tigers made him work. Brown threw 103 pitches in six innings in his third start back from a shoulder strain while authoring a quality start.
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Brown navigated baserunners in all but one inning. The Tigers were hitless in four at-bats with men in scoring position against him yet scratched out three runs, one unearned.
Kerry Carpenter opened the second inning with a bloop single. McKinstry then turned on a 95.8 mph four-seamer, sending it 386 feet into the seats in right-center. Brown allowed just one hit over his last four innings. A miscue behind him in the fifth helped Detroit pad its lead.
With two outs and Kevin McGonigle on second, Greene pulled a chopper. Delgado, drawing a start at second base with Jose Altuve resting, couldn’t corral moving to his left. McGonigle scored from second, the error putting the Tigers up 3-0 and prolonging the inning for Brown.
Brown allowed no further damage. He finished with four strikeouts, inducing 10 whiffs on 44 swings. Tigers hitters put nine balls in play against him with an exit velocity above 95 mph, Statcast’s hard-hit threshold, but just five for hits. Brown has a 1.78 ERA through 25 1/3 innings this season.
Five scoreless for Flaherty
Flaherty posted a 5.35 ERA in his first 15 starts this season before an injured list stint for a tendon strain in his lower left leg. He subdued the Astros in his return.
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Flaherty needed 94 pitches to finish five innings but he missed barrels and got Houston hitters to leave the strike zone. The Astros chased at a 37% clip against Flaherty and whiffed on 16 of 48 swings against him. Eight balls they put into play averaged just an 81.5 mph exit velocity.
Houston had chances. Jake Meyers doubled to open the third inning. A wild pitch sent him to third with no outs. Three hitters could not drive him in. Flaherty struck out Delgado and Jeremy Peña and induced a flyout from Yordan Alvarez, back in the lineup after a rest day.
A single and two walks loaded the bases with two outs in the fourth. Flaherty struck out Meyers fishing for a slider away. He recorded nine of 15 outs via strikeout. All but one ended on whiffs. Peña struck out three times on sliders. Flaherty froze Alvarez with a third-strike fastball to punctuate his outing.
Altuve sits, Smith OK
Jose Altuve and Cam Smith were both absent from the Astros’ lineup for Sunday’s finale. Altuve received a planned off day, manager Joe Espada said. He had played in the first nine games of Houston’s stretch of 13 without an off day that ends Wednesday.
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Smith was removed Saturday in the seventh inning for a pinch-hitter after fouling a ball off of his left foot earlier in the game. Smith’s foot was “pretty sore” Sunday, Espada said pregame, but he was available off the bench.
Smith entered in the sixth inning as a pinch-hitter for Joey Loperfido after the Tigers called in left-hander Holton and played the rest of the game in right field.
Javier update
Cristian Javier made his fifth rehab start in his return from a shoulder strain Saturday with Triple-A Sugar Land, throwing six scoreless innings. Javier threw 85 pitches in the outing, allowed three hits, issued two walks and struck out four.
Javier made his first rehab start June 3. Minor-league rehab assignments for pitchers carry a 30-day limit. Espada did not say Sunday whether Javier’s next start will be with Houston.
“He threw the ball really well” on Saturday, Espada said. “His 30 days are coming up here pretty soon so we’re going to sit down and talk to him about what’s next for him.”
Up next
The Astros will conclude their stretch of 13 games in 13 days with a three-game series against the Twins starting Monday at Daikin Park. Peter Lambert, Mike Burrows and Tatsuya Imai are scheduled to start in that order for Houston.
Zebby Matthews, Joe Ryan and Taj Bradley are listed as the Twins’ projected starters. The Astros faced Matthews and Ryan in their series in Minnesota in mid-May. Matthews allowed two runs in six innings. Ryan allowed one run in six innings.