Astros' patience pays off in biggest comeback win of the season

NEW YORK -- One of the talking points that was surrounding the Astros in the last week is how they’d become a little more aggressive at the plate, swinging too much and not seeing as many pitches per plate appearance as they would have liked. That wasn’t the case Saturday afternoon.

The Astros showed remarkable patience with the bat and rallied for their biggest come-from-behind win of the season by scoring eight unanswered runs, including three in the eighth inning on the strength of four walks and one hit -- a clutch two-out, two-run single by Alex Bregman -- to stun the Mets, 9-6, at Citi Field.

“It’s super important when we swing at good pitches to hit,” said Bregman, who was hitless in his first four at-bats. “This year, we haven’t really done the best job of that as a group, especially myself. Just trying to swing at good pitches to drive, honestly.”

The win was Houston’s eighth in its past nine games and got the club back to .500 (41-41) entering Sunday’s series finale in Queens. The Astros improved to 3-29 this year in games in which they trailed after seven innings.

“It did not start the way we wanted to, but our guys persevered and we stayed in the game,” manager Joe Espada said. “The bullpen … phenomenal job. Our guys staying ready on the bench to pinch-hit knowing their plan, the communication during that game, the coaches getting guys ready to hit, I couldn’t ask for a better overall effort by everyone.”

Entering Saturday, the Astros’ swing rate had jumped by 1.4 percent, the sixth-largest by any team from 2023 to ‘24. And their chase rate had jumped by 1.5 percent, the fifth-largest by any team.

On Saturday, Houston tied a season high by drawing seven walks, including four in a span of six hitters in the eighth. New York reliever Jake Diekman walked Jake Meyers and Jeremy Peña to start the inning, and reliever Reed Garrett walked Trey Cabbage to load the bases with two outs, though the umpires needed a replay check to make sure he drew ball four.

“The message was they’re pitching a man short, so if we grind and continue to put good ABs together, we’re going to get to the ‘pen and we force them to throw more pitches,” Espada said. “That’s not only going to help you win today, but sets you up good for tomorrow. That was the approach, and the guys stayed on it.”

Garrett’s wild pitch scored Meyers (2-for-3 with a homer and four runs scored), and after Jose Altuve walked to load the bases again, Bregman ripped a 3-2 pitch into right field to score Peña and Cabbage and put the Astros ahead.

“Just trying to battle and put the ball in play and hit it hard somewhere on a line,” Bregman said. “I was fortunate enough to come through there.”

Mauricio Dubón padded Houston’s lead with a two-run double in the top of the ninth, and Josh Hader shut the door in the bottom of the inning. Houston’s bullpen gave up one hit and one walk in 4 1/3 scoreless innings and will be asked to carry a big load in Sunday’s series finale with reliever Shawn Dubin starting the game.

“This team is always going to keep fighting, don’t matter what the score is,” reliever Ryan Pressly said. “It’s been kind of a rough season, but the testament of this team is to keep going out there and putting up good at-bats and make quality pitches, and good things will happen.”

Garrett threw only seven of his 18 pitches for strikes, and the Astros stayed disciplined and didn’t chase, for the most part. Bregman fouled off a close 3-2 pitch to stay alive before driving a fastball on the outer edge of the strike zone into right field for the game-winning hit.

"I really thought I challenged them,” Garrett said. “Obviously, I sprayed a couple pitches here and there, but I felt like I was competitive, and they spit on some good pitches."

Starter Framber Valdez’s wobbly outing -- six earned runs and 10 hits allowed in 4 2/3 innings -- put the Astros in a 6-1 hole. Valdez walked three batters and gave up one homer, but his outing was undone by a fielding error in New York’s five-run second inning, after which the lefty pounded his glove into the ground.

“We overcame it, and we won the game,” Espada said.