Hunter Brown threw 6 2/3 quality innings, Jeremy Pena and Christian Walker each drove in two runs, and the Houston Astros posted a 6-2 victory over the host Atlanta Braves on Saturday.
Brown (12-7) allowed two runs on four hits while striking out two and walking one for Houston (81-68), which won consecutive games for the first time since a three-game winning streak from Aug. 27-29. Yainer Diaz went 3-for-4 for the Astros, who gained a brief half-game lead over Seattle atop the American League West with the Mariners hosting the Angels on Saturday night. Houston also holds a two-game lead over the third-place Texas Rangers, who won their sixth straight earlier Saturday.
Bryce Elder (7-10) allowed six runs on 10 hits across 4 1/3 innings, striking out seven and walking three. Matt Olson had two hits, including a solo homer, for Atlanta (65-83), which lost its fourth straight and is 4-11 over its last 15.
Houston struck first in the second inning as Walker’s single and Jake Meyers’ walk were followed with Diaz’s run-scoring single to center. Two batters later, Pena’s two-run double extended the Astros’ advantage to 3-0.
After Carlos Correa’s double and Jose Altuve’s single began the third, Jesus Sanchez drove in the fourth Houston run on a fielder’s choice to second. Walker then connected on his 23rd homer of the season to push the margin to six runs.
Olson’s 24th homer of the season cut the Braves’ deficit to 6-1 in the fourth.
Meyers and Diaz slashed one-out singles in the fifth, chasing Elder from the game. But Dylan Dodd posted 3 2/3 scoreless innings in relief for Atlanta.
Olson singled and Ozzie Albies earned a two-out walk in the seventh, chasing Brown from the game after 108 pitches. Former Atlanta pitcher Enyel De Los Santos entered in relief, allowing He-Seong Kim’s RBI single to cut the Astros’ lead to 6-2.
Bryan King threw 1 1/3 perfect innings to close out the game for Houston.
