Cam Smith hit solo homer in 9th off All-Star closer Duran in Houston’s 2-1 win over Phillies

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Cam Smith delivered a crucial tiebreaking home run in the ninth inning off Jhoan Duran in the Houston Astros' 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday.

Smith connected on a splitter, marking the first time he had hit a home run off Duran since May 22. Philadelphia fell behind Atlanta in the NL East standings after dropping four games in a row.

Houston entered the game with a two-game lead over second-place Texas in the AL West. The Astros, at 75-72, are the only team in their division with a winning record. Cristian Javier, who pitched the first six innings of a combined no-hitter against Philadelphia in the 2022 World Series, pitched six innings of his own, yielding one run, three hits, and one walk while striking out five.

Houston retired Philadelphia's last 12 batters. Bennett Sousa, Bryan Abreu, and Josh Hader each pitched a perfect inning, with Hader remaining perfect in 25 save opportunities. Philadelphia's Zack Wheeler allowed one run, five hits, and two walks over seven innings, falling just eight strikeouts short of the 2,000-strikeout milestone.

Taylor Trammell's RBI double in the second inning scored Christian Walker from first. Bryson Stott grounded into a run-scoring forceout in the fifth inning, and Brandon Marsh was removed from the game after fouling a pitch off his foot in the eighth.

The Astros will head to Tampa Bay to face the top American League team in the Rays, while Philadelphia will start Aaron Nola in their next game against Braves ace Chris Sale.