Astros blow 4-run lead, rally in 9th to beat Angels, 6-5

Wed, Jul 13, 2022
MLB News (AP)

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Kyle Tucker delivered a tiebreaking RBI double in the ninth inning, and the Houston Astros blew a four-run lead before rallying for a 6-5 victory over the spiraling Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night.

Jose Altuve led off the ninth with a walk from Angels closer Raisel Iglesias (2-6), who had his second straight calamitous outing. Aledmys Diaz singled before a double to right by Tucker, a first-time All-Star selection last week.

Diaz hit an early two-run homer and Alex Bregman and Altuve had RBI singles before the Astros wasted a strong six-inning start by Luis Garcia with a mistake-filled seventh. The AL West leaders have still won four of five and 21 of 27 to move a season-high 28 games above .500 at 57-29.

Hector Neris (2-3) pitched the eighth, and Ryan Pressly picked up his 19th save.

Pinch-hitter David MacKinnon had a two-RBI single during that four-run rally in the seventh for the Angels, who had only two hits in their latest offensively inept performance.

Mike Trout left with upper back spasms before the fifth inning on another disappointing night for the Angels, who have lost five straight and nine of 10 to drop a season-low 12 games below .500 at 38-50.

Shohei Ohtani went 0 for 2 with two walks on the night before the All-Star returns to the mound and attempts to extend his streak of 28 2/3 scoreless innings.

Garcia struck out seven and retired his final 13 hitters over six innings of one-hit ball for the Astros. He left with a 5-1 lead, but failed to win his fifth consecutive start after Houston's bullpen and defense collapsed.

Noah Syndergaard wasn't sharp for the Angels, yielding three runs on three hits and a season-high four walks while lasting just four innings.

Houston was up 2-0 after two batters: Altuve drew a leadoff walk before Diaz drilled his sixth homer to center.

Trout struck out in his first two at-bats against Garcia before leaving the game. He also struck out 16 times while batting .177 on the Angels' road trip.

Monte Harrison replaced Trout in center field, and the journeyman backup allowed an extra run to score in the sixth by misplaying Altuve's RBI single for an error.

Los Angeles didn't have a baserunner between Brandon Marsh's second-inning single and Luis Rengifo's 10-pitch walk in the seventh. Houston then committed back-to-back errors, and the Angels quickly tied it on a hit batter with the bases loaded, MacKinnon's big single and a passed ball.

ROUGH STRETCH

Before he wrapped up the ninth, Iglesias had allowed eight consecutive batters to reach base, starting with four straight hits to end his horrific blown save last Friday in Baltimore.

UNFAMILIAR TURF

To keep MacKinnon in the game after his big hit, the Angels moved Jared Walsh to left field for only the second time in his major league career. Walsh also played left in the All-Star Game last season.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Astros: RHP Lance McCullers threw a two-inning simulated game. He'll throw another on Saturday. He hasn't pitched in the majors since injuring his right flexor tendon in last season's playoffs.

Angels: RHP Austin Warren returned from the injured list before the game and pitched a scoreless seventh. The reliever had been out since June 17 with a right triceps strain after missing time earlier in the season when he was hit in the face by a baseball during batting practice.

UP NEXT

Ohtani (8-4, 2.44 ERA) faces Cristian Javier (6-4, 3.01). The Halos' two-way superstar will make the 50th pitching start of his major league career. He hasn't allowed an earned run since June 9.

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