Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker each hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning to power the Houston Astros to a 6-3 win over the host Atlanta Braves on Saturday.
Alvarez delivered a go-ahead home run for the second time in as many nights, as his sixth round-tripper of the season ignited a four-run sixth.
His homer in the ninth inning on Friday sent Houston to a 6-4 win in the series opener. The defending World Series champions will go for the sweep on Sunday.
With his homer, Alvarez extended his streak of consecutive games reaching base to 23, dating to last season. He reached again in the ninth on Ozzie Albies' fielding error.
Kyle Wright (0-1) cruised through five scoreless innings for Atlanta, but he gave up three hits to start the sixth inning. Alex Bregman opened the offensive stretch for the Astros with a single to get aboard before Alvarez's home run.
After Vaughn Grissom's error allowed Jose Abreu to reach first base safely, Tucker's sixth home run of the season pushed Houston's lead to 4-1. Wright's night ended after giving up a single to Jeremy Pena two pitches later.
Albies' two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning pulled the Braves to within 4-3.
Houston added an insurance run in the eighth, when Pena scored on Corey Julks' single to left.
Pena went 3-for-4, with Julks going 2-for-4. Mauricio Dubon singled in the ninth, extending his MLB-best hitting streak to 16 games, then scored on an Abreu's single to right.
The run support helped secure the win for Astros starter Framber Valdez (2-2), who allowed three runs on eight hits to go along with nine strikeouts and no walks in seven innings.
Rafael Montero pitched a scoreless eighth before Bryan Abreu silenced the Braves in the ninth for his first save of the season.
The Braves took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning on Sean Murphy's homer.
--Field Level Media
Houston | Atlanta | |
Framber Valdez | Player | Kyle Wright |
Win | W/L | Loss |
7.0 | IP | 5.0 |
9 | Strikeouts | 2 |
8 | Hits | 7 |
3.86 | ERA | 5.40 |
Houston | Atlanta | |
Jeremy Pena | Player | Ozzie Albies |
3 | Hits | 2 |
0 | RBI | 2 |
0 | HR | 1 |
3 | TB | 5 |
.750 | Avg | .500 |