The Astros had their largest home run output of the season in a critical win over the Kansas City Royals that clinched the home series for Houston.
The five home runs hit by Jeremy Pena , Daulton Varsho , Lamonte Wade Jr , Yordan Alvarez and Taylor Trammel brought the Astros to five for the game. That was the most by the Astros in a game since Sep. 17 2025 when they also homered five times, per Stathead .
Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (44) Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Pena started off the home run fest with a leadoff home run on the first pitch he saw. This was the second time Pena homered on the first pitch of the home half of the ballgame in the series, doing so in the Astros 4-2 win against Kansas City in game one. Pena would homer again later in that first game. Varsho gave the Astros the lead with his solo shot in the second. Wade Jr. extended the Astros lead to 3-1 with his solo shot in the fifth followed by an Alvarez solo blast two batters later. Taylor Trammell would add an insurance run in the eighth inning with his eighth homer of the season.
When the Astros homer five or more times in a game, they are 62-4 with the last 22 occurrences all resulting in wins dating back to a game against the Athletics on Aug. 15, 2019. MLB teams in 2026 are 56-4 when going yard five times or more.
Of the 66 times the Astros have hit five homers in a game, they have failed to score more than six runs just six times including Thursday. In 2009, they homered five times in Cincinnati accounting for all five runs on solo shots.
The Astros record for home runs in a game is seven which has happened three times in their history. The first came in Sep. 9, 2000 at Wrigley Field in Chicago with two homers from both Tim Bogar, Lance Berkman and Richard Hidalgo and one from Daryle Ward. The Astros would win that game 14-4.
The next came in 2019 when the Astros homered five times off Mike Fiers in the first two innings and twice off Paul Blackburn later at Minute Maid Park against the Athletics. Alvarez and Robinson Chirinos homered twice to go along with homers from Jose Altuve , Alex Bregman and Michael Brantley .
The last time the Astros homered seven times in a game was also against the Athletics May 28 of 2023. Alvarez again homered twice, along with homers from Jake Meyers , Chas McCormick , Altuve, Jose Abreu and Pena.
Houston Astros center fielder Daulton Varsho (18) Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Astros are third in baseball with 206 home runs in 2026, behind the leading Chicago Cubs (211) and second-place New York Yankees (209) . When the Astros hit home runs, good things happen. It gives wiggle room for pitching to be efficient and stress-free. If the Astros can produce home runs in the final nine games, they most likely won't all be solo shots like on Thursday. As we've seen it's hard to keep the Astros, or any team, out of the win column when they are leaving the ballpark constantly.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/astros/onsi as Astros Achieve 2026 Single Game Home Run High-Water Mark .
