Fresh off late rally, Astros strive to take down Giants again

The Houston Astros will try to protect their American League West lead again on Tuesday against the San Francisco Giants after a late comeback propelled them in the series opener on Monday. Houston trailed before Cam Smith delivered a game-tying hit in the ninth inning and Isaac Paredes followed with a two-run double in the 10th to give the Astros a 6-3 win. The rally mattered because the Texas Rangers beat the Los Angeles Angels in extra innings, trimming the Astros’ advantage to 1/2 game—setting up a tight matchup at their California venues. Tuesday’s pitching matchup pairs Carson Whisenhunt (2-3, 7.25 ERA) versus Astros ace Hunter Brown (3-1, 3.53).