Diaz helps Astros overcome 4-error game with walk-off blast

HOUSTON -- Over the past two weeks, the Astros have found different ways to win. That was tested on Monday against the Red Sox at Minute Maid Park.

The Astros trailed by two runs twice and committed a season-high four errors, but even with all that, Yainer Diaz hit a walk-off solo home run onto the railroad tracks above left field as Houston rallied for a 5-4 win and its 11th win in its last 12 games.

With one out in the ninth, Diaz sent the first pitch from Kenley Jansen out to left for his first career walk-off home run. It was his second career walk-off hit and first since a game-winning RBI single against the Rangers on July 24, 2023.

“Obviously, it is a very proud moment for any player in that situation to hit that home run there,” Diaz said through an interpreter.

Diaz came through in the ninth after striking out on a pitch timer violation in the seventh with runners on first and second.

“That last at-bat was something that hasn’t happened in my career, so it was something I wanted to enjoy that moment,” Diaz said. “This is baseball. There are going to be errors, we are going to make plays, but that’s something where we are going to pick each other up and try not to focus on the negative on that.”

After the Red Sox took a 4-2 lead in the sixth, the Astros got a run back in the bottom of the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Jon Singleton and tied it in the eighth on an RBI single by Mauricio Dubón.

Chas McCormick snapped an 0-for-9 slump with a bloop single to right field with two outs in the eighth, and then stole second to set up Dubón’s hit.

“That was great to come off the bench and help the team win,” McCormick said. “Get a hit, get a stolen base. Dubón came up with a big hit. It was nice to smile after that. It was great to win.”

McCormick pointed to the Astros’ pitching staff for one reason for Houston’s success.

“A lot of guys have been coming up here and doing their job,” McCormick said. “I think most of the part has been pitching. I think our starting pitching has been unbelievable. You can name them all, and I would say our pitching has been great this year.”

Yusei Kikuchi continued his string of good pitching performances since being acquired at the Trade Deadline.

Kikuchi surrendered three runs (one earned) on six hits with seven strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. In each of his four starts for Houston, the left-hander has allowed three runs or fewer.

“Credit to Kikuchi, he kept making pitches,” Houston manager Joe Espada said. “He got two big double plays -- one in the third, one in the fourth. He didn’t let those mistakes affect him, and he got big outs when he needed to. Our offense kept pushing, pushing, pushing. We just kept getting big hits.”

Kikuchi relied mostly on his four-seam fastball (40 out 99 pitches) and slider (35), but he threw 14 changeups and 10 curveballs as well. Out of 49 swings, he got 17 whiffs overall, but he had the most success on the four-seam fastball, which he got nine whiffs on 23 swings.

“I was able to use the slider to get ahead, pitch in hitters’ counts, too,” Kikuchi said through an interpreter. “I think that resulted in them being off balance and hitting ground balls. Ever since I came here to Houston, the emphasis has been on throwing the slider. I think that helps.”

The Astros moved to a season-high 12 games over .500 (68-56) with the win and extended their franchise record winning streak over Boston to seven games dating back to last season.

“Not our best defensive performance, which is not who we are,” Espada said. “We take pride in our defense, and today was not one of those days.

“[Kikuchi] pitched a heck of a game. He gave us a chance to win. That’s what good teams do. We find ways to win. We fought to the end. We got some big outs. We had some big at-bats. A bunch of those guys there just to keep us in the game. I can’t tell you how proud I am of these guys. These guys always find ways to win big games.”