At least the Astros were consistent tonight. Consistently bad.
It was apparent right away. In the first inning, Astros pitching couldn’t find the strike zone. But at least their fielders muffed every routine play. It was the perfect beginning to a horrible game.
The Astros were lucky to come out of the first allowing only two runs, considering starter Kai-Wei Teng gave up two walks and a bases-loaded hit by pitch. In the meantime, Jeremy Pena botched a would-be double play, and the second run scored when Jose Altuve fumbled the relay on another would-be double play. Two strikeouts, including one to Mike Trout, limited the damage.
Teng threw more pitches in the strike zone in the second inning. And it resulted in five more runs on five hits, including two doubles. Every hit had an exit velocity between 98 and 104.5 MPH.
Teng survived four innings, allowing seven runs, five earned, seven hits, three walks, and five Ks. He got better as the game progressed, the opposite of his usual pattern. It was his worst start of the season on a team already conspicuously lacking in quality starts.
Early on, Astros hitters told the defense, “Don’t be too embarrassed, we can yuck it up too.” By the third inning, Angels starter Wilbert Urena had allowed four walks, a hit by pitch, and two hits, but the Astros stranded seven batters on 0-5 with runners in scoring position. The worst was a two-out, bases-loaded K of just-reinstated Joey Loperfido, who swung at a ball in the dirt on a 3-2 count.
The score remained 7-0 Angels through six innings. In the seventh, Manager Joe Espada threw in the towel, implementing massive substitutions, taking out Alvarez, Altuve, Pena, and Christian Walker.
The scrubs scored the Astros’ first run, as Brice Mathews, hitting for Altuve, doubled home Collin Price, subbing for Walker. It was Price’s first big league run scored.
The scrubs looked good on defense, too. Shay Whitcomb to Mathews to Price turned a clean double play, ensuring yet another scoreless inning for surprising rookie and no-hit closer Alimber Santa. Could’ve used that in the first inning.
The Angels got to Santa with three in the eighth inning on an Isaac Paredes error, a walk, a single, and a sac fly by Trey Mancini. Another muffed play by Paredes, surprisingly scored a hit, led to two more runs, and meant that one of the three runs against Santa was earned. All three runs should have been unearned, as Santa allowed only two legitimate baserunners.
Hunter Brown gets his last rehab start tomorrow with Sugarland. That and Yordan going 2-2 with a walk are about the only good things to happen in this game.
Note: The second hit against Santa that was the result of a misplay by Paredes was later ruled an error. Santa was not credited with an earned runs but three unearned runs. Five of the Angels’ 10 runs were unearned.
