Pirates 10, Astros 6: Cruz and Lowe Homer as Pittsburgh Wins Fourth Straight

The lead

June 2, 2026 - Houston - Oneil Cruz and Brandon Lowe hit three-run homers, Endy Rodríguez added a two-run shot, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Houston Astros 10-6 for a fourth straight win, per the Associated Press recap on CBS Pittsburgh.

Jake Mangum tied a career high with four hits. Yordan Alvarez homered and drove in three for Houston but could not keep pace.

How the game turned

Alvarez's two-run homer in the first gave Houston a 2-0 lead. Rodríguez tied it 2-2 with his first homer of the season in the second.

The Pirates trailed 4-2 with two on and no outs in the sixth before Cruz launched his 14th homer into the right-center bullpen for a 5-4 lead. Mangum reached on a bunt single and an error scored another run.

Lowe's three-run shot off the foul pole in the eighth made it 9-4. Pittsburgh pushed into double digits in the ninth before Houston scored twice in the bottom half.

Pitching and matchup notes

Bubba Chandler (2-6) allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits in five innings—his first win since April 17. Mike Burrows (3-7), traded from Pittsburgh to Houston in December, gave up six runs in five-plus innings.

Gregory Soto struck out the final two batters with the bases loaded in the ninth for his eighth save.

Bats that changed the board

Cruz's sixth-inning homer flipped the game and sparked eight unanswered runs before Houston's late rally. Alvarez's 21st homer ranks second in the majors behind Kyle Schwarber's 22.

AthX Engine fantasy angle

AthX Engine scored Pittsburgh at 17 team FP with Alvarez at 10 hitting FP in a loss—power on both sides registers even when the final margin is four runs. Daily scoring stays independent of dynamic pricing.

What comes next

Paul Skenes (6-5) opposes Spencer Arrighetti (7-1) on Wednesday, per AP.

*Sources: MLB.com schedule, ESPN recap, CBS Pittsburgh/AP, AthX Engine scoring. Information only; not financial advice.*