Daikin Park welcomed home a ceremonial return for Houston as Cristian Javier came back from Tommy John surgery, delivering five innings in his first major-league start in 14 months. Alex Bregman returned to a raucous reception, launching a two-run shot in his first Houston at-bat since leaving Fenway Park years earlier. Ramón Urías, traded from Baltimore, homered in his Astros debut, while Jeremy Peña and Yainer Diaz contributed run-scoring hits and a late defensive gem. Boston’s rally fell short as the Astros held on for a 7-6 opener to maintain a one-game lead over Seattle in a tight AL West race.

The game highlighted a host of storylines: Javier’s velocity rebounded to the 93.5 mph four-seamer range with a new sinker wrinkle; Bregman’s presence injected energy and offense; Correa drew loud cheers in his return to Houston; and Urías arrived with instant impact. The Red Sox, led by Yoshida and Rafaela in late-inning bursts, fought back but couldn’t fully erase Houston’s early cushion. The win set the tone for a three-game set as Houston seeks to keep the division edge intact.