Urena’s Scoreless Stretch Sets Tone
Walbert Urena delivered a masterful performance on the mound, pitching five innings of scoreless baseball to earn the win for the Los Angeles Angels. The right-hander struck out seven batters while allowing just three hits and walking five, establishing early control that would define the contest. His outing provided the foundation for a lopsided victory, as the Angels’ offense capitalized on opportunities to build an insurmountable lead.
Early Explosion Defines Game
The Angels’ bats erupted in the second inning, scoring five runs to take a commanding 7-0 advantage. The scoring began with Meckler doubling to left field, bringing Rivero and Neto home. Adell followed with another double to left, driving in Meckler and Trout. Peraza then grounded out to shortstop, allowing Adell to score from third base, extending the lead to 7-0.
Houston had taken a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Neto scored after being hit by a pitch from Schanuel, followed by Meckler scoring on a groundout by Peraza that resulted in a fielder's choice to shortstop. However, the Astros’ early advantage was quickly erased by the Angels’ offensive surge.
Late Runs Extend Lead
The Astros managed to get on the board in the seventh inning when Matthews singled to right field, allowing Price to score, making it 7-1. The Angels added two more runs in the eighth inning. Mancini hit a sacrifice fly to center, bringing Trout home. The inning continued with an error by third baseman Paredes that allowed Meckler to score and Peraza to reach first safely. Guzman then grounded into a fielder's choice, allowing Adell to score and complete the 10-1 final tally.
Pitching and Records
Kai-Wei Teng took the loss for Houston, pitching four innings and allowing five earned runs on seven hits while striking out five. AJ Blubaugh and Alimber Santa pitched the remaining innings for the Astros, combining for two scoreless frames. For the Angels, Brent Suter pitched two innings, allowing one earned run, while Drew Pomeranz and Kirby Yates closed out the game with scoreless innings. Yates recorded two strikeouts in his one-inning appearance.
The Angels improved their record to 26-42, while the Astros fell to 31-38. The game was played at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, with an attendance of 24,767.
Sources
https://www.espn.com/mlb/game/_/gameId/401815693