José Soriano struck out eight over seven stellar innings, Oswald Peraza homered, and the Los Angeles Angels combined on a two-hitter to shut out the Houston Astros 3-0 on Sunday.
Soriano (10-9) was nearly untouchable, allowing just one hit and walking two in his outing. Luis García followed with a clean eighth, surrendering only a double, before Kenley Jansen retired the side in order for his 25th save in the ninth.
Peraza provided the breakthrough in the fifth inning, crushing a solo shot into the right-center bullpen off Hunter Brown (10-7) for his first home run since being acquired from the Yankees. The blast came just a day after his clutch two-run single in the ninth helped Los Angeles snap a three-game losing streak.
The Angels added insurance in the eighth. Yoán Moncada walked and came around to score on Mike Trout’s RBI double off the center-field wall. Later in the inning, Trout crossed the plate again when Lance McCullers Jr. overthrew first base on a grounder, making it 3-0.
Houston’s only hits were a first-inning single by Yordan Alvarez and a one-out double by Ramón Urías in the eighth. On Urías’ hit, Angels outfielder Taylor Ward crashed face-first into the left-field scoreboard, suffering a facial laceration. He was carted off and taken to a hospital for stitches and further evaluation.
Brown pitched well despite the loss, giving up three hits and one run with five strikeouts in six innings. McCullers Jr., making his first relief outing since 2018, was charged with two runs in the eighth.
Key Moment:
Peraza’s solo homer in the fifth broke the scoreless deadlock and set the tone for the Angels’ shutout victory.
Key Stat:
The Astros were shut out for the fifth time in August.
Up Next:
The series wraps up Monday with Angels lefty Yusei Kikuchi (6-9, 3.68 ERA) facing Astros right-hander Luis Garcia, making his first start since May 2023 after Tommy John surgery.
