Carlos Correa and Isaac Paredes helped power an explosive sixth inning as the Houston Astros erased a six-run deficit and defeated the Los Angeles Angels 11-9 on Saturday night at Minute Maid Park.
Houston scored eight runs in the sixth inning to completely shift the momentum after trailing 6-0 entering the fifth. Correa and Paredes each drove in two runs during the comeback, while Yainer Diaz and Jake Meyers added key extra-base hits as the Astros overwhelmed the Angels’ bullpen.
The game appeared firmly under Los Angeles’ control early, behind home runs and another strong offensive showing. Instead, Houston delivered one of its biggest innings in recent seasons and turned a quiet night at the plate into a dramatic comeback.
The loss spoiled an otherwise productive offensive performance for the Angels, who continued showing power throughout the opening week of the season but failed to protect a large lead.
Astros Turn Game Around In Sixth
Houston entered the bottom of the sixth trailing 6-4 after finally breaking through against Angels starter Reid Detmers in the fifth inning.
The Astros immediately pressured Los Angeles reliever Walbert Ureña and never allowed the Angels to regain control.
Correa tied the game with an RBI single before a throwing error by catcher Logan O’Hoppe allowed another run to score. Christian Walker followed with a go-ahead single that gave Houston its first lead of the night.
The inning continued unraveling for the Angels.
Diaz lined a two-run single into the outfield, and Meyers capped the rally with a two-run double off the right-field wall that stretched Houston’s advantage to 11-6.
The Astros sent wave after wave of hitters to the plate and forced Los Angeles pitchers into constant traffic situations. Houston collected four hits and took advantage of defensive mistakes during the inning.
The eight-run outburst marked Houston’s biggest sixth inning since the club scored 10 runs against the Dodgers on July 4 several seasons earlier.
Angels Start Fast Behind Home Runs
Los Angeles controlled the game early with another display of power hitting.
Oswald Peraza and Jorge Soler delivered home runs in consecutive innings as the Angels jumped ahead 3-0. The offense continued producing against Astros starter Cristian Javier, who struggled with command and efficiency throughout his outing.
The Angels built their lead to 6-0 by the fifth inning and appeared on track to secure another road win.
Los Angeles entered the game leading the majors in home runs and continued that trend throughout the night. The lineup consistently created pressure and punished mistakes over the first half of the game.
Nolan Schanuel added a three-run homer in the ninth inning to cut Houston’s lead to 11-9 and briefly bring the tying run closer to the plate. The late push, however, came too late after the Astros’ massive middle-inning rally.
Detmers Shows Promise Before Astros Break Through
Reid Detmers made his first regular-season start since late September of the previous year and looked sharp for much of the night.
The left-hander struck out nine batters and held Houston scoreless through four innings. His fastball command and breaking pitches generated swings and misses consistently against the Astros lineup.
Houston finally broke through in the fifth inning.
Paredes delivered a two-run double that chased Detmers from the game and shifted momentum toward the Astros dugout. Detmers finished having allowed three runs on six hits across 4 2/3 innings.
Despite the strong strikeout numbers, the Angels bullpen could not preserve the lead after Detmers exited.
Los Angeles relievers had opened the season with 7 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings before the sixth inning collapse. Ureña and Joey Lucchesi combined to surrender eight runs during Houston’s decisive rally.
Correa And Paredes Deliver Key Hits
Houston’s veteran hitters led the comeback effort.
Correa repeatedly came through in critical moments and helped ignite the offense after a quiet start. His RBI single in the sixth inning tied the game and triggered the momentum swing that followed.
Paredes also played a major role in Houston’s turnaround. His two-run double in the fifth gave the Astros life after they had managed little offense through the first four innings.
Walker added an important go-ahead hit, while Diaz and Meyers delivered the biggest blows later in the inning.
The Astros lineup looked far more aggressive once it began attacking the Angels bullpen. Houston consistently found gaps in the outfield and capitalized on every defensive mistake.
Javier Struggles, Bullpen Stabilizes Houston
Cristian Javier did not provide the Astros with a clean start.
The right-hander allowed six runs on four hits over 4 2/3 innings while walking four batters. He struggled to locate consistently and failed to slow the Angels’ power hitters early in the game.
Houston’s bullpen stabilized things after Javier exited.
Kai-Wei Teng made his Astros debut and delivered an important performance in relief. Acquired from the San Francisco Giants during the offseason, Teng allowed just one hit over 2 1/3 scoreless innings while striking out two.
His outing helped Houston keep the deficit manageable long enough for the offense to erupt in the sixth.
Teng earned the first win of his major league career and gave Houston valuable innings during a game that initially looked headed in the wrong direction.
Angels Continue Showing Offensive Power
Even in defeat, the Angels continued one clear early-season trend.
The lineup again produced multiple home runs and consistently generated extra-base hits. Through the opening stretch of the season, Los Angeles emerged as one of baseball’s most productive power-hitting teams.
Soler continued his strong start, while Schanuel’s late three-run homer nearly created another comeback opportunity.
Still, the bullpen collapse overshadowed the offensive production. Los Angeles could not recover after Houston’s sixth inning and dropped a game it once controlled comfortably.
Up Next
The four-game series concludes Sunday with Astros right-hander Tatsuya Imai scheduled to make his highly anticipated major league debut.
The Angels will counter with right-hander Jack Kochanowicz as they attempt to split the series in Houston.