HOUSTON (Interstat) — Hunter Brown struck out 10 over five innings, Jeremy Peña homered twice and Yordan Alvarez added a two-run shot as the Houston Astros held off the Kansas City Royals 4-2 on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026, at Daikin Park. Josh Hader worked the ninth for his 26th save, allowing one hit and striking out one. Houston improved to 76-75, while Kansas City fell to 66-85. The game drew 28,635 and lasted 2 hours, 21 minutes.

Brown earned the win to move to 6-3. He allowed one earned run on two hits, walked three and struck out 10. Michael Wacha took the loss for Kansas City and dropped to 9-9. Wacha pitched six innings, allowing four earned runs on four hits. He walked one and struck out two.

The Astros wasted little time getting to Wacha. In the bottom of the first, after Brown struck out Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone around a Bobby Witt Jr. lineout, Peña lifted a fly ball to left-center field that carried over the fence for a solo home run. It was Peña’s 18th homer of the season and gave Houston a 1-0 lead. Yordan Alvarez flied out to left fielder Isaac Collins, Isaac Paredes flied out to center fielder Kyle Isbel and Jose Altuve flied out to right fielder John Rave to end the inning.

Kansas City’s offense struggled against Brown early. Maikel Garcia grounded out to Altuve at second base in the second, Vinnie Pasquantino was called out on strikes and Michael Massey grounded out to Altuve. In the third, John Rave drew a walk, but Brown struck out Kyle Isbel, Isaac Collins and Carter Jensen in succession to strand the runner.

Houston added to its lead in the bottom of the third. LaMonte Wade Jr. grounded out to Pasquantino at first base before Peña homered again, this time a fly ball to left field for his 19th home run. Alvarez followed with a walk, but Paredes lined out to Collins and Altuve flied out to Isbel, keeping the score at 2-0.

Kansas City threatened in the fourth. Witt Jr. singled on a sharp line drive to center fielder Daulton Varsho. Caglianone struck out swinging, and Witt Jr. stole second for his 41st steal of the season. Garcia walked, putting runners on first and second. But Pasquantino struck out swinging and Massey struck out on a foul tip, ending the inning without a run.

Wacha kept Houston off the board in the fourth. Yainer Diaz grounded out, Varsho popped out to Pasquantino in foul territory and Christian Walker was called out on strikes. The Royals then broke through in the top of the fifth. Rave struck out swinging, and Isbel grounded out sharply to Altuve. Collins walked after a pitch result was challenged and overturned. Jensen followed with a double to left fielder Wade Jr., scoring Collins. Witt Jr. grounded out to shortstop Peña, but Kansas City had cut the deficit to 2-1.

The Astros answered in the bottom half. Cam Smith popped out to Pasquantino in foul territory, and Wade Jr. popped out to catcher Carter Jensen in foul territory. Peña kept the inning alive with a sharp single to center fielder Isbel. Alvarez then drove a fly ball to right field for a two-run home run, his 39th of the season, scoring Peña. Paredes grounded out to Witt Jr. at shortstop, but Houston had stretched its lead to 4-1.

Kansas City got one run back in the sixth against Houston reliever Bennett Sousa. Caglianone lined out sharply to left fielder Jorge Barrosa, and Garcia struck out swinging. Pasquantino then homered on a line drive to right-center field, his 12th of the season and second hit of the game for Kansas City. Massey flied out to Varsho to end the inning, leaving Houston ahead 4-2.

The Royals’ bullpen kept the game close. Jose Cuas pitched a scoreless seventh, walking one and striking out two. Lucas Erceg followed with a scoreless eighth, striking out one. For Houston, Bryan Abreu pitched a scoreless seventh with one strikeout, and AJ Blubaugh tossed a scoreless eighth with one strikeout. Sousa allowed one earned run on one hit in his inning of work, striking out one.

Houston’s defense and relief pitching protected the lead. In the top of the seventh, Rave grounded out to Peña, Isbel flied out to Barrosa and Collins was called out on strikes. In the top of the eighth, Jensen flied out to right fielder Smith, Witt Jr. flied out to Varsho and Caglianone struck out swinging. In the bottom of the eighth, Peña struck out swinging, Alvarez walked, Paredes struck out swinging and Altuve grounded out from third baseman Garcia to first baseman Pasquantino.

Hader entered for the ninth and closed the door. Garcia flied out to Smith in right field. Salvador Perez singled on a fly ball to Smith, giving Kansas City a baserunner. Nick Loftin popped out to Peña at shortstop, and Tyler Tolbert struck out swinging to end the game. Hader’s save was his 26th of the season.

Peña finished 3 for 4 with two home runs and two RBIs. Alvarez was 1 for 2 with a home run, two RBIs and two walks. Brown recorded 10 strikeouts in the win. Brown had allowed four earned runs over five innings in his previous start on Sept. 9 at Philadelphia, a 7-11 loss. Wacha’s six-inning effort kept Kansas City within reach, but the Royals managed only four hits. Witt Jr., Jensen, Pasquantino and Perez accounted for them. Kansas City has lost two straight. Houston snapped a three-game losing streak.

The Astros and Royals continue their series Wednesday, Sept. 16, at Daikin Park, followed by the finale Thursday, Sept. 17. Kansas City then travels to Pittsburgh for a weekend series, while Houston remains home to host Atlanta.

Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of Houston 4, Kansas City 3. Interstat’s ELO system gave Houston a 56 percent probability to win. Houston was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The over/under line was 8, and the combined score finished at 6.