In the heart of the Houston Astros' lineup lingers a shortfall. Its cleanup spot has created little impact for two months. No major-league team was extracting a lower slugging percentage or fewer runs driven in from the fourth spot in its order than Houston.

The Houston Astros need Christian Walker to be the guy he has been for the last three years. From 2022-24 with the Arizona Diamondbacks, the slugger was a home run threat and elite defender, impacting the game in multiple ways that led to him getting handsomely paid by the Astros this past offseason with the hope he would solve their first base issues.

Christian Walker hit a game-winning, two-run homer in the ninth inning to lift the Houston Astros to a 5-3 win over the Seattle Mariners.