The Houston Astros (74-72) defeated the Philadelphia Phillies (82-64) on Thursday at Citizens Bank Park, with the decisive blow coming via a tie-breaking home run in the ninth inning off Phillies reliever Jhoan Duran.

Phillies starter Zack Wheeler (12-5, 3.23 ERA) continued his strong season, according to Yahoo Sports, though the team's offense could not generate enough runs. The Astros sent RHP Cristian Javier (2-5, 5.98 ERA) to the mound in the rubber match of the three-game series, which Yahoo Sports characterized as "bizarre" given how each team's fortunes shifted across the matchup.

The loss marks the end of the Phillies' penultimate homestand. Philadelphia now travels to Atlanta for a showdown against the Braves.