The Houston Astros secured a 3-2 extra-inning victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night at Angel Stadium, with Mauricio Dubón scoring the decisive run on a wild pitch in the 10th inning. Early home runs, a late-game defensive gem, and a dramatic finish marked the tightly contested opener of the weekend series.
Dubón began the top of the 10th inning as the automatic runner at second base. Jeremy Peña led off the frame with a single to advance him to third. Two batters later, with Isaac Paredes at the plate, reliever Hunter Strickland delivered a pitch that sailed behind the batter and past catcher Logan O’Hoppe, allowing Dubón to cross the plate with the go-ahead run. The wild pitch marked the first run allowed by Strickland in his 14th appearance for the Angels this season.
The Astros’ bullpen held firm to preserve the win. Josh Hader, who pitched a clean ninth inning, improved to 5-1 on the season. In the 10th, Bennett Sousa retired all three batters he faced to earn his second save, securing Houston’s win in the series opener.
The game began with early fireworks from the Houston offense. Peña and Paredes hit back-to-back home runs to open the top of the first inning against Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi. It was the first time since July 2022 that the Astros began a game with consecutive home runs, a feat last achieved by Peña and Jose Altuve in Seattle.
Despite the early setback, Kikuchi settled in and delivered a strong performance, allowing only two more hits over seven innings. He struck out nine without issuing a walk, keeping the Angels in contention throughout his outing.
The Angels responded with home runs of their own. Jo Adell cut the deficit to 2-1 in the fourth inning with a towering solo shot to left-center field off Houston starter Hunter Brown. In the seventh, Christian Moore tied the game at 2-2 with his first major league home run. Moore, the Angels’ first-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, continues to make an impression in his debut season.
Tempers briefly flared in the third inning when Brown hit Angels shortstop Zach Neto with a 95-mph sinker on the elbow. Both benches and bullpens emptied, though the situation de-escalated quickly without any further incident.
The Astros’ defense played a critical role in maintaining the tie late in the game. In the bottom of the eighth, center fielder Jake Meyers made a full-extension diving catch on a deep drive by Adell, preventing a potential go-ahead run with a runner on base and one out.
Houston will look to build on the win in Saturday’s game. Left-hander Brandon Walter (0-0, 1.53 ERA) is scheduled to take the mound for the Astros, while the Angels will send right-hander José Soriano (4-5, 3.54 ERA) to start. According to current betting odds, the Astros are listed as -120 favorites, with the Angels entering as slight underdogs at +100. The over/under for total runs is set at 8.
