Sep 6, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Houston Astros pitcher Hunter Brown (58) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Astros’ Ace Hunter Brown Insisted on Returning to Mound for Good Reason

Originally posted on Houston Astros on SI
By Maria Aldrich | Last updated Sep 7, 2025 1:00 PM ET

The Houston Astros walked away on Saturday evening with one of their most memorable wins of the season. With an 11-0 victory, the Astros left the Texas Rangers in the dust.

The first two innings went scoreless, but once infielder Christian Walker stepped up to the plate in the third, things took a positive turn for Houston. Walked hit a homer to center field, marking his 22nd home run of the season. From there, momentum grew — Yordan Alvarez homered in the fifth and Carlos Correa scored a run in the sixth.

The magic continued throughout the matchup, and once the eighth and ninth innings rolled around, the score became embarrassing for the Rangers. Between the two innings, eight runs were brought in, all while denying Texas a run.

A lot of the Astros' success on Saturday can be attributed to 27-year-old ace Hunter Brown who insisted on returning to the game for one more inning.

Hunter Brown Returned to Mound for Sixth Inning

Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

While heading into the dugout on Saturday night after five innings pitched, Brown made one thing clear: he wasn't done throwing. He was adamant about returning to the mound for the sixth inning, and considering his performance as of late, he wasn't met with any refusal.

"I really wanted him to go back out there for another 10, 15 more pitches, because his stuff was really good," said manager Joe Espada, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. "His changeup was still working; his fastball looked like it had plenty of life to it. So when he came down and he said, 'I'm going back out,' I said, 'OK, son, go get 'em.'"

Brown knew he had more in the tank to give. He certainly isn't one to let up easily, so it's no surprise that he wanted to go back out. In six innings pitched, he owned a 2.25 ERA and 1.01 WHIP, allowing him to walk away with his head held high.

With this victory, Houston maintains a steady lead in the American League West standings with an overall record of 78-65, just above the Seattle Mariners at No. 2 (74-68). Their three-game series against Texas has been made even, so in order to win the set, they will need to clinch Sunday afternoon's game as well.

Once this series wraps up, the Astros will face the Toronto Blue Jays who are in first place in the AL East. The regular season may be coming to a close, but now is the time to hunker down and get to work — time is ticking and competition is heating up.

This article first appeared on Houston Astros on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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