TONIGHT’S GAME: The Houston Astros (79-81) will continue their final road trip of the regular season with the third game of a four-game series against the Athletics (64-96) at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, CA.
RHP Hayden Wesneski (5-2, 3.50 ERA) will be on the mound for the Astros, opposite RHP Jack Perkins (3-12, 5.90 ERA) and the Athletics.
BIG WES: Tonight will be the 11th Major League start of the season for RHP Hayden Wesneski, who rejoined the Astros rotation on July 29 after missing
14 months while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Since his return, he’s been one of the Astros best starters, leading the club in wins (5) and ranking second in innings (54.0), while pitching through the 5th inning in eight of his 10 starts.
THE POSTSEASON CHASE: The Astros and Rangers are locked in a tight race down the stretch for the AL West with the two teams having the same record with two games left to play. The Astros own the tiebreaker over the Rangers with a season series victory (9-4 record).
CLINCH SCENARIO: The Astros can clinch the AL West division tonight with a win against the Athletics and the Rangers losing to the Twins.
VS. THE ATHLETICS: This is the final series between the Astros and Athletics this season, with the two clubs last seeing each other from Aug. 21-23 at Daikin Park.. The Astros have gone 5-6 vs. the Athletics this season. The Astros also own an overall regular season record of 125-112 against the Athletics, including a 60-61 record on the road.
ROAD WARRIORS: Tonight is the fourth game of a six-game road trip for the Astros. Since going 1-9 on the first road trip of the 2026 season, the Astros have gone 39-30 (.565) on the road since April 14, which ranks third in the AL in that span, behind the Red Sox (43-28) and the Yankees (42-30).
LAST NIGHT’S GAME: The Astros were defeated by the Athletics, 5-6, last night at Sutter Health Park. RHP Hunter Brown allowed two runs (one earned run) on two hits and four walks with four strikeouts in 5.1 innings. C Yainer Diaz (2×4, 2B, RBI), 1B Christian Walker (1×3, HR, RBI) and RF Cam Smith (1×3, HR, RBI) each drove in a run for the Astros.
GOIN’ DEEP: The Astros have hit 220 homers as a team this year and have hit 200-plus homers in a single season for the 10th time in franchise history (last, 222 HR in 2023). The Astros rank second in the AL in home runs this season behind only the Yankees (223).
TWO-OUT MAGIC: The Astros lead the American League in two-out runs with 315 on the season, trailing only the Cubs (332) in the Majors. 3B Isaac Paredes leads this effort, as he holds the Major League lead with 45 two-out RBI, directly ahead of CHC Pete Crow-Armstrong, DET C Dillon Dingler and STL 1B Alec Burleson (44 RBI).
THE CASE FOR THE MVP: DH Yordan Alvarez is a solid candidate for the AL MVP Award. Alvarez leads the American League in OPS (1.037), slugging percentage (.599), OBP (.433), batting average (.315), total bases (334), walks (109), IBB (33), wRC+ (180), OPS+ (.190) and extra-base hits (75). He also ranks tied for second in home runs (41), second in RBI (102), second in hits (176),tied for third in doubles (33) and fourth in runs (102).
TRIFECTA: CF Lucas Spence went 3×4 with three home runs and five RBI on Thurs. night vs. the Athletics. He became the third player in Major League history to hit their first three career home runs in the same game, joining STL OF Joshua Baez (Aug. 15, 2026) and CWS C Seby Zavala (July 31, 2021). Spence is the second rookie in Astros franchise history to record a three-homer game, joining DH Yordan Alvarez (Aug. 10, 2019 at BAL). It was the first three-homer game by an Astro this season (last, IF Jose Altuve on Sept. 5, 2023 vs. TEX).
STRONG SEPTEMBERS: 3B Isaac Paredes has a .979 OPS this month to go along with a team-leading 20 RBI, which ranks tied for third in the AL. C Yainer Diaz is also having a strong September, as he’s hitting .351 (26×74) with four homers, 11 RBI and a .971 OPS in 21 games (18 starts) this month.
RACKING UP K’S: RHP Bryan Abreu has posted 528 career strikeouts, which ranks fourth among relievers in Astros history. He’s closing in on third-place RHP Dave Smith (529), needing only one strikeout to match the Astros reliever from the 1980s. LHP Billy Wagner (694) and RHP Brad Lidge (557) sit atop that all-time list.
THE FIREMAN: LHP Josh Hader has converted 26 consecutive save chances to open his season, which is the Astros record. Should Hader finish the season without a blown save, he would become the seventh pitcher in MLB history to post 26-plus saves without a blown save. The last Major Leaguer to do so was RHP Ken Giles in 2018 (26 SV)
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 1986 – RHP Mike Scott clinches the NL West Division title for the Astros in historic fashion by hurling a 2-0, no-hit victory over the Giants in the Dome. Scott, who tallied 13 strikeouts in the win, would go on to win the NL Cy Young Award later that season, finishing with an 18-10 while leading the Majors in both ERA (2.22) and strikeouts (306).
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Saturday, September 25, 8:40 p.m. CT
Location: Sutter Heath Park, West Sacramento, CA
TV: SCHN
Radio: KTRH 740 AM; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
