The Atlanta Braves wrap up their road trip in Houston on Sunday, September 20, 2026, taking on the Astros at Daikin Park with first pitch set for 2:10 PM ET. Martín Pérez gets the ball for Atlanta opposite Houston's Hunter Brown in a late-season regular season matchup that carries real weight with the calendar winding down. The Braves are away from Truist Park but arrive with a lineup capable of doing damage in any ballpark.

Braves vs. Astros Starting Pitchers: Pérez Faces Brown in Houston

Martín Pérez draws the start for Atlanta in what figures to be a demanding afternoon assignment. Pitching in Daikin Park against a Houston lineup loaded with experienced hitters is never a soft task, and Pérez will need to command his arsenal early and often to keep the Astros off the board. Hunter Brown gets the nod for Houston, and the hard-throwing righty gives the Astros a legitimate arm to lean on down the stretch.

Atlanta Braves Starting Lineup at Houston

• Drake Baldwin, C
• Ronald Acuña Jr., DH
• Matt Olson, 1B
• Michael Harris II, CF
• Mauricio Dubón, 3B
• Ozzie Albies, 2B
• Mike Yastrzemski, LF
• Brewer Hicklen, RF
• Ha-Seong Kim, SS

Houston Astros Starting Lineup

• Jeremy Peña, SS
• Yordan Alvarez, LF
• Isaac Paredes, 3B
• Jose Altuve, DH
• Yainer Diaz, C
• Christian Walker, 1B
• Cam Smith, RF
• Nick Allen, 2B
• Brice Matthews, CF

Keys to Watch for the Atlanta Braves

Acuña Jr. and Olson Setting the Tone Early

With Ronald Acuña Jr. slotted into the two hole and Matt Olson batting third, the middle of this Atlanta order can punish a pitcher who loses the zone. Brown will need to be at his best to navigate that stretch of the lineup without yielding big innings. If Acuña Jr. gets on base consistently, he puts immediate pressure on Brown and the Houston defense.

Pérez Limiting the Alvarez-Altuve Core

The Astros counter with Yordan Alvarez batting second and Jose Altuve dropping into the cleanup spot, which means Pérez faces legitimate power threats throughout the lineup from the jump. Keeping Alvarez in the ballpark and working carefully around Altuve will be the central challenge of Pérez's afternoon. Any slip in execution against those two can snowball quickly in a hitter-friendly environment.

Braves Depth Options in the Bottom Third

Mike Yastrzemski, Brewer Hicklen, and Ha-Seong Kim round out the Atlanta order. This trio needs to manufacture at least some production to keep pressure off the top of the lineup and give Pérez some margin to work with. Situational hitting and plate discipline from these three could be the difference in a tight game.

Prediction

This shapes up as a competitive, low-margin game between two lineups that can score in bunches. Pérez will need a clean first few innings to settle in, and if he can navigate Alvarez and Altuve without major damage early, Atlanta has the offense to make Hunter Brown work deep into counts. The Braves have the lineup to steal one in Houston. Edge: Atlanta 4, Houston 3.

Catch the game on BravesVision on TV or on 680 AM/93.7 FM The Fan on radio.