Houston Astros starter Hunter Brown joins elite company after dominant start against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Through one-half of the regular season, the Astros are 48-33, good for first in the American League West, leading the Seattle Mariners by 6 games. They rank third in the AL in run-differential (+50) and are 30-13 at home and 18-20 on the road.

Cam Smith broke a deadlock with a two-out RBI single in the eighth inning as the Astros swept the NL East leaders.