Yordan Alvarez hit an early home run and delivered the decisive RBI single in the ninth inning as the Houston Astros defeated the Los Angeles Angels 3-2 on Tuesday night.
Alvarez accounted for two of Houston’s three runs, while Christian Walker also homered to help the Astros secure their seventh win in eight games. The victory kept Houston within two games of the Texas Rangers in the American League West standings.
The Angels battled back from two separate one-run deficits but could not prevent another late loss. Los Angeles has now dropped 17 of its last 22 games.
Alvarez Starts the Scoring
Houston wasted no time taking the lead.
Alvarez jumped on the first pitch he saw from Angels starter Reid Detmers and launched a 427-foot home run to right field. The blast was his major league-leading 35th homer of the season and gave the Astros a 1-0 advantage in the opening inning.
Detmers recovered quickly after the home run and settled into one of his sharper outings of the year. The left-hander struck out nine batters over five innings without issuing a walk while allowing just four hits and two runs.
Angels Respond
Los Angeles answered in the third inning.
The rally began with a pair of baserunners before Vaughn Grissom lined an RBI single to left field, tying the score at 1-1.
Houston regained the lead an inning later when Walker drove a 411-foot solo home run into the left-field seats. His 21st homer of the season restored the Astros’ one-run advantage.
The Angels answered again in the fifth.
Mike Trout singled and raced home from first base when Jorge Soler ripped a double down the left-field line, evening the score at 2-2.
Los Angeles threatened to take the lead later in the inning after Grissom singled to put runners at the corners, but Astros starter Peter Lambert escaped the jam by striking out Wade Meckler to end the threat.
Pitchers Keep It Tight
Both starting pitchers limited damage after the early scoring.
Lambert worked five innings, allowing two runs on seven hits while striking out six and walking one. Despite allowing more hits than Detmers, he consistently escaped trouble and kept the game tied before turning it over to Houston’s bullpen.
Detmers matched him with an efficient performance that featured nine strikeouts and no walks. His ability to command the strike zone helped keep the Astros’ powerful lineup largely under control after Alvarez’s first-inning blast.
Bullpen Takes Over
Houston’s relief corps dominated the final four innings.
Enyel De Los Santos, Bryan Abreu, Steven Okert and Josh Hader combined to throw four hitless innings while preserving the tie until the offense broke through in the ninth.
Okert earned the victory after pitching a scoreless eighth inning, and Hader needed only four pitches to retire the Angels in order during the ninth, collecting his 14th save of the season.
The bullpen’s shutdown effort gave Houston another chance to capitalize late.
Alvarez Delivers Again
The Astros finally broke the deadlock in the ninth inning.
Pinch-hitter Nick Allen opened the frame with a double against Angels reliever Mitch Farris. Christian Vázquez followed with a one-out bloop single that moved Allen to third base.
After Jeremy Peña struck out, Alvarez came through again. He lined a two-out single into right-center field, driving home Allen with the go-ahead run.
The hit capped another productive night for Alvarez, who supplied both the game’s first run and its decisive one.
Farris was charged with the loss after allowing the winning rally to develop.
Astros Continue Climb
Houston’s recent surge has strengthened its position in the American League West race.
The Astros have found consistent production from both their lineup and bullpen, with Alvarez continuing to lead the offense during an important stretch of the season.
For the Angels, Grissom collected an RBI single while Trout and Soler combined on the club’s second run, but the offense could not produce another breakthrough after the fifth inning.
Up Next
The Astros concluded the three-game series on Wednesday with right-hander Hayden Wesneski returning from the 60-day injured list to make his first start since recovering from Tommy John surgery. The Angels countered with right-hander Grayson Rodriguez, who entered the matchup with a 3-3 record and an 8.54 ERA.
