Astros Fall 6-5 to A's in Late-Inning Thriller

Final Score and Context

The Houston Astros fell 6-5 to the Sacramento Athletics on Saturday, September 26, 2026, at Sutter Health Park. The game drew a crowd of 9,012 fans. The result moved the Athletics' record to 64-96, while the Astros finished at 79-81. The contest featured two home runs and a dramatic back-and-forth scoring sequence that lasted until the eighth inning.

Game Progression

The Astros took an early lead in the fourth inning when Walker hit a 425-foot home run to left field. However, the Athletics mounted a significant offensive response in the sixth inning. Stefanic singled to center field, driving in McNeil and Gelof to cut the deficit. Heim followed with a single to left that allowed Clarke to score. The A's offense exploded further when Bolte tripled to center, scoring White and Heim. Butler then grounded into a fielder's choice to first, bringing in Bolte to extend the lead to 6-1. The Astros responded in the seventh when Smith hit a 366-foot home run to left. In the eighth, Altuve sacrificed fly to left to score Wade Jr., and Diaz singled to left to score Alvarez. Paredes then scored on a wild pitch by Medina, narrowing the gap to 6-5 before the final out.

Pitching Performance

Hunter Brown started for the Astros and pitched 5.1 innings, allowing two hits, one earned run, four walks, and striking out four batters. He took the loss, dropping his record to 6-4. Bennett Sousa pitched 0.0 innings, allowing three hits and three earned runs. AJ Blubaugh pitched 0.2 innings, allowing one hit and one earned run while striking out one. Logan VanWey pitched 1.1 innings, allowing two hits and no earned runs while striking out two. Joshua Hendrickson pitched 0.2 innings without allowing hits or earned runs.

Athletics Staff

Jacob Lopez earned the win, pitching 6.0 innings, allowing two hits, one earned run, two walks, and striking out four batters. His record improved to 7-5. Seth Johnson pitched 1.0 inning, allowing one hit and one earned run while striking out one. Geoff Hartlieb pitched 0.1 innings, allowing one hit, three earned runs, and two walks while striking out one. Luis Medina pitched 0.2 innings, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out one, recording his 13th hold. Hogan Harris secured the save, pitching 1.0 inning, allowing one walk and striking out one, improving his save total to 17.

Sources

ESPN