Houston Astros sweep Rangers behind Alvarez, Peña

At Daikin Park in Houston, the Houston Astros closed out a rivalry series with a jolt Saturday night. Yordan Alvarez matched his career high with four hits, Jeremy Peña went deep, and the Astros broke the game open with four runs in the seventh inning to beat the Texas Rangers 7-3 and finish a three-game sweep.

The win gave Houston a clean series against its in-state rival and a lineup boost from two of its biggest bats. Alvarez set the tone all night, while Peña delivered power at a key moment as the Astros pulled away late.

Houston Astros break through in the seventh

For much of the night, the game stayed within reach for both clubs. Houston changed that in the seventh, stringing together offense that turned a tight contest into a four-run cushion. That inning gave the Astros breathing room and backed up the work of the pitching staff.

Peña’s home run added another big swing for Houston in a game that already featured steady pressure on the bases. Alvarez kept finding holes, piling up four hits and tying the best single-game total of his career. When Houston needed traffic, he supplied it.

Alvarez and Peña lead the Astros lineup

Alvarez remains one of the central figures in any Houston Astros win, and this one looked familiar. He reached repeatedly, helped set up scoring chances, and forced Texas to deal with him from his first at-bat through the late innings.

Peña added the kind of extra-base punch that can flip a series finale. Houston got contributions up and down the order, but Alvarez and Peña supplied the clearest offensive edge. A 7-3 final over Texas also gave the Astros a sweep, which always carries extra weight in this matchup.

Series sweep gives Houston momentum

Sweeping the Rangers matters in the standings, but it also matters around Houston because these games land differently. Division meetings against Texas carry heat, and the Astros handled the series by getting timely offense and enough separation late.

Houston’s next game will bring a fresh matchup, but this result leaves the club coming off a strong weekend at home. Alvarez’s four-hit night and Peña’s homer are the headline numbers from a 7-3 win that sent the Rangers home empty-handed.

This article is a summary of reporting by Temple Daily Telegram. Read the full story here.