Without Yordan Alvarez, the Astros might even be worse than the Angels this year. The odds-on favorite for AL MVP and possible Triple Crown winner came through yet again when it counted to put the Astros in a position to sweep the Angels and get to .500 with a win tomorrow.
The Astros struck first in the first inning when, who else, Alvarez took his first pitch from Reid Detmer 427 ft past right field. It was his league-leading 35th homer, and Alvarez continues to lead in the other Triple Crown categories.
The Angels struggled early against Astros starter Peter Lambert, whose first four outs were all Ks. But in the third inning, the Angels broke through on a Vaughn Grissom RBI single following a Zach Neto single and stolen base.
The Astros retook the lead in their half of the third on a solo Christian (Sky) Walker homer, his 21st.
The Angels came back in the fifth on a Trout single and a Jorge Soler bloop double that landed on the left field line. After striking out Wade Meckler on a 3-2 count with runners on first and third, Lambert left the game completing five innings, allowing two runs on seven hits, one walk, with six strikeouts. Lambert allowed only six runs in five starts in July.
The game settled into a bullpen pitcher’s duel after the fifth, with Enyel De Los Santos, Bryan Abreu, and Steven Okert hurling perfect sixth, seventh, and eighth innings, respectively.
Enter Yordan. After a leadoff double by pinch-hitter Nick Allen and a single by Christian Vazquez left runners on first and third and two outs, the Angels decided to pitch to baseball’s most fearsome hitter. Alvarez made them pay with a 107 MPH single that wound up as the game’s winning hit.
Josh Hader needed only four pitches to subjugate the Angels in the ninth for the save. It was his fourth appearance in five days.
The win represents a major breakthrough for the 2026 Astros. They are finally only one game behind .500. They have not been only one win below .500 since the 13th game of the season, and have lost numerous times since then trying to get there. The Astros are two games behind the Rangers in second place in the AL West and one game out of the Wild Card berth if the season ended today.
Astros go for the sweep tomorrow with the return of Hayden Wesneski from Tommy John surgery. Game time 8:38 CT.
6th. inning. Score is 2-2. Paredes on 2nd. Walker on 1st. no outs. Altuve at bat. For Pete sake, Joe, move the runners!!! Altuve K, Smith K, Trammel 4-3.
9th. inning. Score 2-2. No outs. Allen doubles. Spence at bat. Joe, move the runner!!!! Spence can’t execute the bunt, he K. Vazquez singles to the right, Allen doesn’t score. JP3 K. Mercifully, Yordan wins the game.
Rays have bunted successfully 26 times. The Astros 15.
Woulda been nice if the AL
And NL 1 seeds could have handled the rangers and mariners…😕