Astros Ride Nick Allen, Dominant Bullpen to Victory Over Nationals

Heading into the Houston Astros' matchup with the Washington Nationals on July 7, just one batter on the team had ever faced the opposing starter in his career.

Nick Allen, an infielder who's played a more prominent role this season than anybody had anticipated heading into the campaign, was the only Houston hitter who had ever stepped into the batter's box and looked Nationals starter Andrew Alvarez dead in the eyes. It was only two plate appearances, sure, but it was at least something.

It turns out that little bit of extra exposure was all Allen needed to excel.

The 26-year-old shortstop came to the plate three times against Alvarez and was productive on each occasion. In the top of the second inning, with the Astros already down 1-0, Allen stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and proceeded to take the third pitch he saw and sky it to right field. James Wood collected the ball easily, but the sacrifice fly allowed Christian Walker to scamper home from third and tie the game.

Nick Allen getting it done! #ChaseTheFight pic.twitter.com/FsdodacQD3
— Houston Astros (@astros) July 8, 2026

Fast forward to the top of the fourth. The Nationals were once again on top, 2-1, but Allen had other ideas. With the bases loaded, Allen snuck a ball through the infield to score both Walker and Zach Dezenzo. Houston led 3-2 and never looked back.

Allen faced Alvarez one more time and walked.

Overall, it was one of the best games of Allen's season. He drove in three runs and reached base twice. Without him, Houston wouldn't have won the contest. Luckily for the Astros, Allen was on their side.

Nick Allen and the Bullpen Carried the Load

Houston Astros pitcher Josh Hader. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Another positive from the Astros' 6-3 win over the Nationals was the spectacular performance from the bullpen. After Tatsuya Imai gave the team only 3 2/3 innings, the relievers entered the game and proceeded to shut the door on any hope Washington had of mounting a comeback. Steven Okert, Enyel De Los Santos, Bryan King, Bryan Abreu, Alimber Santa and Josh Hader all piggybacked off one another to deliver Houston a much-needed victory.

It was truly that duo — the bullpen and Nick Allen — that made sure the Astros got through nine innings safely. The team collected only six hits on the night while the Nationals had 11, but it was the Astros who capitalized on their opportunities, mostly thanks to Allen.

Imai's performance was disappointing. He got hit around, allowing two runs on four hits with three strikeouts and three walks. His pitch count became an issue early, as he finished the night with 84 pitches and didn't even get through the fourth inning.

"Coming from Japan to the U.S., there's been some ups and downs, which we knew was going to happen," Astros manager Joe Espada said (via MLB.com). "It's part of the process, and he's adjusting to this league. He's grown and he's leaning on people to make that adjustment, and we've seen his growth the last couple of weeks. I'm expecting him to be someone we can rely on in the second half."

Unfortunately, Tuesday night's outing was one of the downs for Imai. But like Espada said, there's plenty of reason to believe more ups are around the corner. Goodness knows the Astros need them to come soon.

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