Astros blow eighth-inning lead in 4-3 loss to Athletics
The Houston Astros blew a 3-1 lead in the eighth inning and lost 4-3 to the Athletics on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026, as reliever Bennett Sousa surrendered three runs and shortstop Jeremy Peña did not throw home on the go-ahead run. Houston stayed one game up in the AL West, but the late collapse keeps the astros schedule under scrutiny ahead of Sunday's series finale at Daikin Park.
Key Takeaways
- The Astros led 3-1 after a seventh-inning rally but lost when Oakland scored three times in the eighth.
- Bennett Sousa allowed hits, a walk, and a wild pitch to the first four batters he faced; it was Houston's fourth blown lead after seven innings this season.
- Jeremy Peña fielded Jonah Heim's chopper with the infield in but threw to first as Lawrence Butler scored the winning run.
- Houston remains 65-65 and one game ahead of Texas in the AL West, with Seattle three games back.
- Cristian Javier starts Sunday's finale as the Astros try to avoid a losing homestand against sub-.500 AL West foes.
How did the Astros lose a game they led going into the eighth?
Daulton Varsho broke a 1-1 tie with a solo homer off Luis Medina in the seventh, and Jeremy Peña added a two-out RBI single to make it 3-1. That lead vanished quickly once manager Joe Espada turned to lefty Bennett Sousa to open the eighth.
Jeff McNeil singled, Zack Gelof walked, and a sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position. Sousa then sailed a 94 mph fastball for a wild pitch that scored McNeil. Lawrence Butler followed with a sharp grounder that glanced off first baseman Christian Walker's glove for a single, tying the game at 3-3.
Tommy White doubled Butler to third, and Espada summoned Bryan Abreu. With the infield in, Heim chopped a 68.5 mph grounder to Peña. Peña looked toward home but took the out at first as Butler slid across with the go-ahead run. Elvis Alvarado closed the ninth for his third save as Houston's final six hitters went down in order.
Why was Bennett Sousa pitching instead of Steven Okert?
Espada said Steven Okert, Houston's high-leverage lefty who leads the team in appearances, was unavailable after pitching twice in three days. AJ Blubaugh had already worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings after a forced removal of starter Hunter Brown in the sixth, and Espada wanted Blubaugh available for Sunday.
With a left-handed pocket of Oakland's lineup due up, Sousa entered what Espada called a good match-up. Instead, Sousa faced four batters and three scored. The Chronicle noted that just two MLB bullpens had a lower ERA than Houston's since June 1, yet the Astros' pen blinked harder than Oakland's on Saturday.
Should Jeremy Peña have thrown home on the winning run?
Both Espada and Peña said afterward the play deserved a second look. Peña told reporters, "The play was to go home," but he saw Butler's jump and chose the sure out at first. Espada called it a bang-bang play in the eighth with the go-ahead run at the plate and said being aggressive might have been the better call given how softly Heim hit the ball.
Peña had just delivered a clutch two-out RBI single in the seventh after missing two games with hand soreness. His defensive choice became the defining image of a night Houston could not afford to waste. For full game details, see the MLB.com recap.
What does this mean for the AL West race and astros schedule?
The loss was Houston's fifth in the eighth game of a nine-game homestand against the Mariners, Angels, and Athletics — all sub-.500 teams. The Astros are 3-5 on that stretch and guaranteed a losing homestand record regardless of Sunday's result.
Despite the setback, Houston's 65-65 mark still leads the AL West by one game over Texas (64-66), which lost Saturday. Seattle walked off the Cubs and sits three games back at 62-68. Sunday's series finale pits Cristian Javier against Brady Basso as Houston tries to split the three-game set.
Every late-inning mistake carries extra weight in a tight division race. For more breaking sports and market alerts, follow our Fintech & Crypto Alerts coverage hub.