Nationals Edge Astros 2-1 on Adams' Tiebreaking Homer

Riley Adams hit a pivotal two-out solo home run in the seventh inning to lead the Washington Nationals to a 2-1 victory over the Houston Astros, who have now lost five straight games at home. Despite a strong performance from Astros starter Framber Valdez, who tied a franchise record by reaching 1,000 career strikeouts and matched his season high with 12 strikeouts, the Nationals capitalized on critical moments to secure the win. Nationals rookie Brad Lord delivered a solid outing, retiring the first 14 batters and allowing just one run over 5⅓ innings. The Astros' bullpen was unable to contain the Nationals after Valdez's exit, with Washington relievers combining for 3⅔ scoreless innings and Kyle Finnegan earning his 20th save. The loss marks a significant slump for the Astros, who have dropped 10 of their last 11 home games and managed only one run in each of their last three contests. Adams’ home run was his sixth of the season and underscored his offensive value, with half of his hits going for extra bases this year.