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Arenado’s Long Blast Decides Tight Diamondbacks-Astros Duel

Nolan Arenado’s two-run home run in the third inning proved decisive as the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the Houston Astros 3-2 on Sunday.

Cody Ferris

September 7, 20262 min read

MLBFinal
Arizona Diamondbacks3
Houston Astros2

September 6, 2026

Turning Point in the Third

The decisive moment of the contest arrived in the third inning when Nolan Arenado connected with a two-run home run to left center field. The ball traveled 385 feet, carrying teammate Marte over the wall to extend Arizona’s lead. This play shifted the momentum in the away club’s favor during a tightly contested matchup at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas.

Game Progression

Houston took an early lead in the first inning when Alvarez hit a home run to right field, covering 337 feet. The Diamondbacks responded in the second inning, with McCann driving in Carroll via a sacrifice fly to left field to tie the game at one run apiece.

After Arenado’s homer put Arizona ahead 3-1, the Astros managed to cut the deficit in the eighth inning. Wade Jr. singled to left field, allowing Altuve to score and Walker to reach second base. The final score remained 3-2 in favor of the visitors.

Pitching Performance

Eduardo Rodriguez earned the win for the Diamondbacks, pitching six innings. He allowed three hits and one earned run while walking two batters and striking out six. His record improved to 15-5.

On the mound for Houston, Peter Lambert took the loss, recording eight hits and three earned runs in seven innings of work. He walked no batters and struck out six, dropping his record to 8-8. Kevin Ginkel secured the save for Arizona, pitching one inning without surrendering a hit or an earned run while striking out three batters.

His save count increased to three.

Final Records

The Diamondbacks improved their standing to 76-68, while the Astros fell to 73-71. The game drew an attendance of 39,478 fans at Daikin Park. The contest featured two total home runs, with Alvarez and Arenado providing the long balls that defined the scoring sequence. No other teams were involved in the outcome, and the final result stood as a 3-2 victory for the away squad.

Sources

https://www.espn.com/mlb/game/_/gameId/401816834

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Cody Ferris

Cody Ferris covers Van Alstyne Panthers athletics and area high school and college sports.

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