José Altuve homered and drove in three runs, while Luis Garcia impressed in his long-awaited return as the Houston Astros defeated the Los Angeles Angels 8-3 on Monday night.
After recovering from Tommy John surgery, Garcia (1-0), pitching for the first time since May 1, 2023, tossed six solid innings. He allowed just three runs on three hits while striking out six, earning the win in his comeback outing.
The Angels briefly led 3-2 in the fourth when Zach Neto opened the inning with a solo homer, and Jo Adell followed Mike Trout’s single with his 31st long ball of the year. But Houston quickly answered back.
With the game tied in the fifth, Yordan Alvarez singled and later scored on Carlos Correa’s RBI grounder to center, giving the Astros a 4-3 advantage they never surrendered. An inning later, Jeremy Peña’s second double of the night plated Cam Smith, stretching the lead to 5-3 and chasing Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi (6-10), who gave up five runs on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Altuve capped his night with a two-run homer in the eighth following an Alvarez RBI single, putting the game out of reach. Ramón Urías also went deep earlier for Houston.
Key Moment:
Correa’s RBI single in the fifth broke the 3-3 tie and swung momentum firmly in Houston’s favor.
Key Stat:
Houston improved to 18-9 this season in games started by left-handed pitchers.
Up Next:
The Angels continue their road trip on Tuesday in Kansas City, though a starting pitcher has not yet been announced. The Astros head to New York, where lefty Framber Valdez (12-7, 3.18 ERA) will face Max Fried (14-5, 3.06 ERA) in the opener against the Yankees.