Cruz and Lowe Power Pirates to Victory with Key Home Runs Against Astros

HOUSTON (AP) — In a thrilling matchup on Tuesday night, the Pittsburgh Pirates secured a 10-6 victory over the Houston Astros, bolstered by three-run homers from Oneil Cruz and Brandon Lowe, along with a two-run blast from Endy Rodríguez. This win marked the Pirates' fourth consecutive triumph, with Jake Mangum contributing significantly by matching his career-high with four hits.

Yordan Alvarez stood out for the Astros, driving in three runs and hitting his 21st home run of the season, placing him just one behind Kyle Schwarber for the league lead. However, despite Alvarez's impressive performance, the Astros suffered their third loss in four games.

The turning point came in the sixth inning when the Pirates were behind by two runs with no outs and two runners on base. Cruz ignited the offense with his 14th home run of the year, sending the ball into the right-center bullpen and giving Pittsburgh a 5-4 advantage. Lowe later extended the lead in the eighth with a homer that hit the foul pole in right field, bringing the score to 9-4.

Pirates starter Bubba Chandler (2-6) had a mixed outing, yielding five hits and four runs (three earned) over five innings. The Astros managed to add two runs in the ninth, narrowing the gap before loading the bases with one out. Gregory Soto stepped in and struck out the final two batters to earn his eighth save. In contrast, Mike Burrows (3-7), who was traded from Pittsburgh to Houston last December, allowed eight hits and six runs (five earned) in five-plus innings.

The game began with Jeremy Peña's leadoff single, setting the stage for Alvarez's early home run that gave Houston a 2-0 lead. Rodríguez's first homer of the season leveled the score at 2-2 in the second inning. The Astros briefly regained the lead in the third, but the Pirates' late-game power proved decisive.

Looking ahead, the Pirates will send right-hander Paul Skenes (6-5, 2.89 ERA) to the mound against Houston's righty Spencer Arrighetti (7-1, 1.34) on Wednesday night.