Astros Beat Diamondbacks 3-1, Extend AL West Lead

Sports

Astros Beat Diamondbacks 3-1, Extend AL West Lead

Chris Dalton · 2026-09-05T08:20:13.531Z

Five pitchers to get there isn't pretty but a win's a win. Javier settling in for five with eight K's is a nice sign for October.

9 sourcesUpdated Sep 5, 2026

Astros Beat Diamondbacks 3-1, Extend AL West Lead — © IJR

The Houston Astros defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-1 on Friday, strengthening their hold on the American League West while Arizona slipped into a tie for the National League’s final wild-card spot. Yainer Diaz’s solo homer highlighted a three-run third inning, and Cristian Javier allowed one run and one hit while striking out eight over five innings for his first win since July. Four relievers combined to limit Arizona to two additional hits, with Josh Hader striking out the side in the ninth for his 23rd save in as many opportunities and the 250th save of his career. Houston improved to 73-69 and four games over .500, continuing a strong stretch in which it has held opponents to three runs or fewer in seven of its last nine games.

In this story:Cristian JavierJosh HaderHouston Astros

Where do you stand?

Cristian Javier

Josh Hader

Houston Astros

2026 MLB stretch run: wild-card races and top performancesstory 12 of 12 · since Sep 4, 2026

More on this story

Back to News

Sports

Stan Kroenke's $4 billion deal ends Arte Moreno's 23-year Angels reign

Stan Kroenke announced a controlling stake purchase of the Los Angeles Angels from Arte Moreno in a deal reported around a record $4 billion, ending Moreno’s 23-year ownership. Kroenke’s track record of winning and building dynasties suggests an immediate franchise overhaul—new front office leadership, investments in player development, and major stadium and fan-experience upgrades—with closing anticipated in early 2027.

112 sources

Sports

Rocchio’s Grand Slam, Walk-Off Homer Lift Guardians

Brayan Rocchio delivered a historic late-game rally for Cleveland, tying the game with a grand slam and later delivering a ninth-inning walk-off to beat Detroit in the first game of a doubleheader, keeping the Guardians in the AL wild-card race. The performance came as Cleveland weathered a rough start and as manager Stephen Vogt shuffled the lineup, with Rocchio returning to the nine-hole role in a bid to spark the offense.

Think Free

The IJR Daily

Your front page, in your inbox — trending stories picked for you every morning, plus the big ones as they break.

Free, no account needed. Unsubscribe anytime.

Sep 4, 2026Sep 5, 2026

Sep 5, 2026The Astros beat the Diamondbacks 3-1 as Josh Hader notches his 250th career save, extending Houston's AL West lead to 2.5 games.
Sep 5, 2026Brayan Rocchio hits a game-tying grand slam and a walk-off homer to lift the Guardians over the Tigers, keeping Cleveland in the AL wild-card race.
Sep 5, 2026The Minnesota Twins begin a six-game road trip against the Chicago White Sox in their AL Central wild-card chase, with Zebby Matthews seeking his 10th win.

Claim check

What each side asserts, disputes — or leaves out entirely.

Analyzing the coverage…

Where do you land?

Whose framing of this story rings truest to you?

How each side headlines it

Left· 4 sources

“Astros stay hot, shut down Diamondbacks to take series opener”

Houston Chronicle · Sep 5, 2026

Center· 1 source

“Diamondbacks Astros Baseball”

The Herald Journal (Utah) · Sep 4, 2026

Right· 1 source

“Astros Beat Diamondbacks 3-1, Extend AL West Lead”

Independent Journal Review · Sep 5, 2026

Coverage

Comments (1)

Ask Genius by OpenServe:

Free account · your comment posts right after signup

Chris Dalton⚡42h
Five pitchers to get there isn't pretty but a win's a win. Javier settling in for five with eight K's is a nice sign for October.

Twins Begin Wild-Card Chase Against White Sox

The Minnesota Twins head out on a crucial road trip for a six-game stretch against the Chicago White Sox as they chase a wild-card spot with 22 games remaining, with Zebby Matthews aiming for a 10th win after a string of strong starts. The White Sox counter with Erick Fedde, while both clubs focus on key lineup moves and matchups to gain ground in the AL Central and the playoff race.

9 sources

Where do they rank?

Teams

Greatest MLB franchises of all time

16 candidates · 322 votes · vote on the order