Ethan Pecko struck out four in his major league debut and five Houston relievers combined for more than five scoreless innings as the Astros defeated the Los Angeles Angels 3-2 on Wednesday night.
Christian Vázquez homered for Houston, while Jose Altuve and Cam Smith drove in runs during a decisive fourth inning. Denzer Guzman provided both Angels runs with a double that was initially ruled a three-run homer before replay changed the call because of fan interference.
Angels starter Walbert Ureña struck out seven over five innings and allowed only three hits, but Houston made those opportunities count. Los Angeles failed to score against the Astros bullpen after Guzman’s fourth-inning hit.
Pecko Makes Major League Debut
Houston turned to Pecko for his first major league start amid a season of constant change in the rotation.
The 23-year-old right-hander was a sixth-round selection by the Astros in the 2023 draft and entered the majors ranked ninth among Houston prospects by MLB Pipeline.
Pecko became the 17th starting pitcher used by Houston this season. That matched the franchise record established in 1965.
The rookie worked 3 2/3 innings and allowed two runs on three hits. He walked two and struck out four before the Astros handed the game to their bullpen.
Houston’s relievers took control from there.
Astros Deal With Early Injury
The Astros faced an immediate concern when Jeremy Peña was hit on the hand by a 100-mph sinker in the first inning.
Nick Allen eventually entered as a pinch-hitter for Peña. Houston announced that Peña sustained a right hand contusion.
Manager Joe Espada also exited early. He was ejected in the first inning after arguing a hit-by-pitch call.
Despite the disruptions, Houston struck first against Ureña.
Vázquez put the Astros ahead in the third inning with a solo home run. The blast was his seventh of the season and gave Houston a 1-0 advantage.
The lead did not last long.
Fan Interference Changes Guzman’s Homer
The Angels appeared to produce the biggest swing of the game in the fourth inning.
Guzman drove a ball that was initially ruled a three-run homer, seemingly giving Los Angeles a 3-1 advantage.
After review, officials determined there had been fan interference. The home run was changed to a two-run double.
Instead of a two-run lead, the Angels went ahead 2-1.
The ruling became even more significant when Houston immediately responded in the bottom of the inning.
Altuve hit an RBI double to tie the game at 2-2. Smith then lifted a sacrifice fly that scored Isaac Paredes and restored Houston’s lead at 3-2.
Neither team scored again.
Ureña Keeps Angels Close
Ureña limited Houston to three hits during his five innings but could not avoid the two scoring frames.
Vázquez’s third-inning homer accounted for the first run. The Astros then scored twice in the fourth on Altuve’s double and Smith’s sacrifice fly.
Ureña finished with seven strikeouts and allowed three runs before leaving the game.
The right-hander fell to 8-9 despite giving the Angels enough length to remain within one run.
Los Angeles needed only one run to tie the game after the fourth inning, but Houston’s bullpen refused to give the Angels an opening.
Astros Relievers Take Control
Houston’s bullpen became the deciding factor after Pecko left in the fourth.
Five Astros relievers combined to cover the remainder of the game without allowing a run.
Bennett Sousa earned the win in relief and improved to 1-1.
The Angels could not recreate the threat that led to Guzman’s two-run double. Houston’s relievers protected the narrow advantage inning after inning and carried it into the ninth.
Josh Hader handled the final inning and secured his 18th save.
The bullpen’s performance allowed Houston to overcome a short start from Pecko while making Vázquez’s homer and the two-run fourth inning stand up.
Angels Unable to Find Late Equalizer
Los Angeles had reason to feel it was close to a different result.
Ureña allowed only three hits, and the Angels briefly appeared to have a three-run homer from Guzman. The fan-interference ruling changed the play to a double and reduced Los Angeles’ scoring on the play to two runs.
Houston answered immediately, and the Angels never scored again.
Pecko’s debut lasted fewer than four innings, but Los Angeles could not take advantage of Houston’s extended bullpen workload.
Instead, the Astros received more than five innings of scoreless relief to protect a one-run lead.
For Houston, the win also provided a successful major league introduction for Pecko. He worked through 3 2/3 innings before the bullpen took over and shut down the Angels for the rest of the night.
Up Next
The series concludes Thursday in Houston.
Astros right-hander Peter Lambert is scheduled to start with an 8-6 record and a 3.11 ERA.
The Angels will counter with right-hander Grayson Rodriguez, who enters the series finale at 3-5 with a 7.17 ERA.
