HOUSTON (Interstat) — In a wild, back-and-forth contest defined by a decisive third-inning outburst, the Houston Astros rallied from an early four-run deficit to edge the Colorado Rockies 7-6 on Tuesday night at Daikin Park.

The game’s pivotal moment arrived in the bottom of the third inning, where the Astros sent 11 men to the plate and scored six runs, erasing a 5-1 Colorado lead and seizing control of the game they would not relinquish. The inning was a messy amalgamation of timely hitting and Colorado miscues, turning the tide decisively.

The Rockies had built their advantage with early power. Hunter Goodman launched a solo home run to left field in the first inning, his third of the year. In the second, Jake McCarthy drove a two-run triple to deep center, scoring Jordan Beck and Kyle Karros to make it 3-0. Houston’s Christian Walker got one back in the bottom of the second with a solo homer, his fourth, but Goodman struck again in the fifth with his second homer of the night, a solo shot to left-center, marking his fourth of the season.

That power display was overshadowed by Houston’s relentless third. It began with a double from Christian Vázquez and was catalyzed by a costly fielding error by Colorado second baseman Willi Castro on a Jose Altuve grounder. Yordan Alvarez followed with a two-run double, and after a walk, Carlos Correa grounded into a force out that put runners at the corners. Walker then reached on a fielder’s choice, driving in Alvarez. Cam Smith followed with an RBI single, and Castro committed his second error of the inning on a ball hit by Joey Loperfido, allowing Walker to score. Vázquez, batting for the second time in the frame, capped the scoring with an RBI single that plated Smith, staking Houston to a 7-5 lead.

The Rockies chipped away, with Beck hitting his first home run of the year in the fourth. They pulled within a run in the eighth when pinch-hitter Troy Johnston delivered a clutch two-out, RBI single to center, scoring Ezequiel Tovar to make it 7-6. Colorado threatened again in the ninth, putting the tying run on third and the winning run on first with two outs, but Astros closer Enyel De Los Santos struck out Jordan Beck looking to end the game and secure his first save of the season.

The win went to Houston reliever AJ Blubaugh (2-2), who allowed one run over 1 1/3 innings. Colorado’s Michael Lorenzen (1-2) took the loss, charged with the six-run third, though only two of the runs were earned due to the two errors. The Rockies’ bullpen, led by 3 1/3 scoreless innings from Antonio Senzatela and a perfect eighth from Zach Agnos, kept the game close.

Offensively, the Rockies out-hit the Astros 12-10 but stranded 10 baserunners. McCarthy and Goodman each drove in two for Colorado. For Houston, Walker was instrumental, going 3 for 4 with a home run, two RBIs and two runs scored, factoring heavily in both of his team’s scoring frames.

The victory improved Houston’s record to 7-11, while Colorado fell to 6-11. The game, played in 2 hours and 55 minutes before a crowd of 29,536, defied pregame projections. Interstat’s game simulator had predicted a 3-2 Colorado victory, and while their ELO rating gave Houston a 71.3% probability to win, the combined 13 runs sailed over the posted over/under line of 8.5.

The most important part of the game was unquestionably the bottom of the third inning. The six-run rally, fueled by four hits, two walks, and two critical Colorado errors, transformed a 5-1 deficit into a 7-5 lead. It represented a complete momentum shift, as the Astros batted around and exploited every opportunity given to them. Despite Colorado’s persistent efforts to claw back, including bringing the tying run to third in the final inning, the damage done in that half-inning proved insurmountable, setting the final score and deciding the contest.

The two teams continue their series Wednesday night in Houston.