Dylan Bundy put together another excellent performance for the Los Angeles Angels. He allowed three hits, one walk, and two runs while striking out six. Despite getting a no decision, the Angels were able to avoid a series sweep against the Houston Astros with a 4-2 win to move to 10-10 on the season.
Bundy and Lance McCullers Jr. found themselves in a pitchers duel right out of the gate. Each allowed just one hit in the first inning — a Michael Brantley double and a Justin Upton single — which ended up being the most action through the first four innings of the game.
The Angels finally got something going in the fifth inning. Albert Pujols was hit by a pitch, Jose Iglesias hit an infield single, and Jose Rojas was walked to load the bases.
With two outs, David Fletcher hit a slow rolling infield single that hit first base and popped up. The awkward bounce allowed two runs to score and all runners to be ruled safe, giving the Halos a 2-0 lead.
Bundy allowed his first base runner since the second inning in the bottom of the sixth. It was the No. 9 batter — who led the inning off — in former Angels catcher Martin Maldonado. After walking Myles Straw, the Astros had runners on first and second with no outs for the heart of the order.
Bundy forced a shallow pop up to Brantley, then got Alex Bregman to ground into a double play. The Angels got out of the inning without any damage, holding on to their 2-0 lead.
In the top of the seventh, Jose Rojas was just a few feet away from his first career home run, but it bounced off the wall in left field and he had to settle for a double with one out. He was unable to advance as the inning came to an end with two straight groundouts.
The Angels chose to leave Bundy in for the seventh inning. However, this did not go the way the other six did. Bundy hit Yordan Alvarez to start things off, then immediately allowed a two-run home run to Yuli Gurriel. The Angels starter was removed from the game after things were all tied up at two.
Chris Rodriguez was the first Angels reliever out of the bullpen. He hit a batter and walked another to put two men on base with two outs. A full count strikeout to Straw ended the inning and got him out of a jam.
Shohei Ohtani was the lead off man for the Angels in the eighth inning, and he took a second pitch fastball 440 feet deep for a solo home run. His incredible success at the plate continued as the Angels took a 3-2 lead. It was the Angels only run of the inning, as they led by one going to the bottom of the eighth.
Mike Mayers was brought in to the game with that one run lead in the eighth. After a rough recent outing that resulted in an Angels loss, Mayers found his rhythm once again for a 1-2-3 inning.
In the top of the ninth, Rojas hit his second double of the game and fifth of the season. Then, an Anthony Bemboom single sent him home to give the Angels an insurance run. Going into the bottom of the ninth, the Angels led 4-2 with Raisel Iglesias ready to take the mound.
Iglesias allowed a runner on first with one out, but got a double play ball to end the game and give the Angels a 4-2 win in Houston.
Looking ahead
Ohtani will be the presumptive Angels starter on Monday when the Halos head to Arlington to take on the Texas Rangers. First pitch is at 5:05 p.m. PT as the Angels start a three-game set against another divisional opponent. Hopefully, the Angels will also get some of their injured players back in the lineup.
