Astros Sweep Phillies Ending 26-Inning Scoreless Streak

The Houston Astros secured a 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, marking their fourth consecutive win in the series. Cam Smith delivered the game-winning RBI single in the eighth inning, ending the Phillies' 26-inning scoreless streak, while Hunter Brown pitched seven shutout innings with nine strikeouts, lowering his ERA to 1.74. Despite the Phillies' struggles offensively, highlighted by a prolonged scoreless streak against Astros pitching, their starter Christopher Sanchez also had a strong performance with 11 strikeouts and no walks over six innings. Analysts and bettors have noted the dominance of pitching in this matchup, with expert predictions favoring under 7.5 total runs due to consistent low-scoring games influenced by pitchers like Framber Valdez and Ranger Suarez. Meanwhile, the Phillies have multiple players recognized in MLB All-Star voting, with five players ranked fourth or better at their positions, though it remains uncertain if they will advance to the next voting phase. The series continues to showcase tight contests driven by strong pitching and limited offensive output from both teams.