 struck out three while allowing two hits and three walks in his first career start, making his case for the spot in Houston's rotation left vacant because of Lance McCullers Jr.'s forearm injury.Carlos Correa had two RBIs on a line-drive single to centerfield with the bases loaded in the third inning that put the Astros in front 2-0. Marwin Gonzalez made it 3-0 with a base hit through the gap at first to score Alex Bregman.Jefry Marte scored on a ground out by Kole Calhoun to cut the lead to 3-1 in the fifth. It was the first earned run allowed by Valdez in 9 1/3 innings this week after making his major league debut at Seattle on Tuesday, and the 24-year-old left-hander got David Fletcher to ground out and end the inning.Roberto Osuna earned his second save with the Astros and 11th of the season, striking out pinch hitter Shohei Ohtani to end the game after hitting Francisco Arcia with a two-out pitch.Felix Pena (1-4) gave up three runs on three hits and two walks in six innings. Pena, who struck out five, has yet to win in seven home starts.Jose Altuve went 1 for 4 and is batting .350 (7 for 20) with three RBIs in five games following his first-ever trip to the disabled list because of a knee injury. He played in the finale of the Astros' nine-game road trip despite being hit by a pitch Saturday, the second time he was struck on the left elbow this week.TRAINER'S ROOMAstros: OF George Springer (quadriceps) will likely return to the starting lineup Monday against Oakland, manager AJ Hinch said. Springer has missed six games because of soreness in his left leg. . Hinch said McCullers is unlikely to return to the starting rotation this season. Hinch said McCullers' rehabilitation program will slow down because of a ''continued lack of progress,'' and he is not expected to throw off the mound until September.Angels: Ohtani will throw a simulated game Monday. Ohtani has not pitched since June 6 because of an elbow injury. . RHP Matt Shoemaker (forearm) is being evaluated to determine the next step in his recovery following surgery to address nerve pain in his right arm in May, an ailment that has limited Shoemaker to one start since June 14, 2017.UP NEXTAstros: RHP Gerrit Cole (11-5, 2.73 ERA) will take a 2-0 record with a 2.92 ERA in four starts against Oakland this season into Monday's opener of a three-game series against the Athletics.Angels: RHP Odrisamer Despaigne (2-2, 6.35), who has lost both starts after being traded from Miami to Los Angeles on Aug. 14, will get the nod against Colorado on Monday.---More MLB: https://apnews.com/tag/MLB and https://twitter.com/-Sports)
StubHubStubHubAstros end road trip at Angels 1h ago• 2 min read The Houston Astros close out a roller-coaster road trip when they face the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday afternoon at Angel Stadium.The Astros lost the first two games of the nine-game trip to the Oakland A's, dropping them into a tie atop the American League West standings, but they've rebounded to win their past four games and maintain a 1 1/2-game lead over Oakland entering Sunday.Houston (79-50) opens a three-game series against the visiting A's on Monday.Houston right-hander Gerrit Cole was available to pitch on regular rest Sunday, but the Astros are saving him for Monday's series opener against the A's.Instead, rookie left-hander Framber Valdez will make his first major league start in the series finale. His outing will come five days after he delivered a strong performance out of the bullpen to earn the victory in his major league debut.Valdez entered Tuesday's game against the Seattle Mariners with two outs in the second inning and allowed one run (unearned) and two hits over 4 1/3 innings in the 3-2 victory."He's got a wipeout breaking ball, so he fits right in," Astros manager A. J. Hinch told reporters after his debut.Valdez was the organization's Minor League Pitcher of the Month for July, when he allowed one earned run in 22 1/3 innings for Class AA Corpus Christi.The Angels (63-67) still have eight games remaining against the Astros and can play a key role in the AL West race. They've lost five in a row and seven of eight to fall four games under .500 for the first time this season.Los Angeles started the season a franchise-best 13-3.The Angels will send right-hander Felix Pena (1-3, 4.53) to the mound in the series finale.Injuries to the Los Angles pitching staff have created a need for Pena to log innings as a starter."I don't like the fact that I am here because other people got hurt," Pena told mlb.com through a translator after his last start. "That is not a good thing for the team, but I will take the opportunity and continue working hard and improve and make sure to give the team what they need." Pena, who was converted to a starter earlier this season, is winless in his past eight starts, but the Angels have averaged just 2.9 runs in those outings, leaving him little margin for error.He had a career-high 12 strikeouts in his last start on Tuesday at the Arizona Diamondbacks, but Pena did not receive a decision after giving up four runs and seven hits in six innings of the 5-4 loss.Pena did not allow an earned run through six innings the previous week against the San Diego Padres and departed with a 2-1 lead, but again failed to get the win after the bullpen surrendered the tying run in the seventh inning before the Angels won 3-2.Pena has not faced Houston in his career.
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