​WASHINGTON (AP) — CJ Abrams and Luis García Jr. each homered for the 20th time this season as the Washington Nationals defeated the Houston Astros 8-2 on Wednesday night. Foster Griffin (10-2) pitched seven innings of one-run ball, helping Washington seize two of three from Houston and push its record to two games above .500. Griffin’s 10 wins stand as the most for a Nationals rookie since the team relocated from Montreal before the 2005 season.
Brice Matthews accounted for Houston’s lone run with an RBI single in the fifth. García delivered a three-run homer to right-center off Astros starter Spencer Arrighetti (7-5) in the fourth, his 11th long ball in 18 games since June 19. Abrams opened the fifth with a homer to right-center to put Washington ahead 6-1. The Nationals then loaded the bases on two singles and a walk, chasing Arrighetti. José Tena followed with an RBI grounder and Keibert Ruiz added a sacrifice fly against reliever Alimber Santa, extending the lead.
Griffin received solid offensive support and kept Houston at bay. He tied a career high with nine strikeouts while allowing five hits and issuing no walks. It marked the seventh straight start in which the 30-year-old has yielded just one run. In that span, Griffin is 4-0 with a 1.25 ERA. The left-hander, who signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract with Washington in December after spending three seasons in Japan, had been tied with John Lannon’s 2008 total for the most victories by a Nationals rookie.
Earlier in the game, James Wood and García drew walks to start the third inning. Abrams followed with a sacrifice fly to deep right to score Wood, and Daylen Leile doubled to bring in García. Arrighetti ended up surrendering eight runs on seven hits with a career-high six walks in just over four innings.
For Houston, Hunter Brown took the loss (1-0, 3.38 ERA) after getting tagged for eight runs. The Astros’ road trip continues Friday against Texas. Washington will host the New York Yankees on Friday, with Zack Littell (7-6, 5.02) slated to start for the Nationals.
This recap reflects the game action and context from Wednesday night’s matchup, highlighting the standout performances by Abrams and García, the efficiency and impact of Griffin on the mound, and the broader implications for both teams in the standings and upcoming schedule.