Mauricio Dubón hit two home runs. Josh Hader remained perfect in save opportunities this season as the Houston Astros held off the Los Angeles Angels 8-7 on Sunday afternoon at Angel Stadium. The win allowed Houston to take the rubber match of the three-game series and close their road trip on a high note.
Dubón recorded his second career multi-homer game, beginning with a solo home run in the fifth inning off Angels starter Kyle Hendricks to put Houston on the scoreboard. He later delivered a two-run shot in the sixth against reliever Hunter Strickland, giving the Astros a 6-5 lead after briefly falling behind earlier in the inning.
The Astros continued to build on their lead with Jeremy Peña’s RBI double and Jake Meyers’ sacrifice fly, extending the margin to 8-5. Those insurance runs proved crucial as the Angels responded with a run in the seventh and a solo home run in the ninth.
Nolan Schanuel contributed significantly to Los Angeles, finishing with three hits and four runs batted in. He brought the Angels within a run in the seventh inning with an RBI single, and Zach Neto cut the deficit to one with a solo home run off Hader in the ninth. Despite the late push, Hader preserved the victory by inducing a lineout from Mike Trout with a runner on second, securing his 19th save in as many opportunities.
The Angels took a 2-0 lead in the second inning after Taylor Ward doubled and Logan O’Hoppe connected for a two-run home run off Astros rookie Ryan Gusto. It was O’Hoppe’s third home run in two days and his 17th season, inching closer to the franchise record for home runs in a single season by a catcher, set by Lance Parrish in 1990.
Houston answered in the fifth. Following Dubón’s first home run, Peña tied the game with a solo homer. A throwing error by Luis Rengifo allowed Jake Meyers to score, and Christian Walker added an RBI double, giving the Astros a brief 4-2 lead. However, the Angels quickly responded. Schanuel’s three-run homer off Gusto in the bottom of the fifth reclaimed the lead for Los Angeles at 5-4.
Gusto improved to 5-3, allowing five runs on six hits over six innings with seven strikeouts. Hendricks was charged with five runs, three earned, over five innings and took a no-decision. Strickland, who had not previously allowed an earned run this season, was charged with the loss after surrendering three runs in his one inning.
Bryan Abreu also played a critical role for Houston, entering in the seventh with two on and two outs. He struck out Trout on three pitches to end the inning and protect what was then a two-run lead.
With the win, Houston returns home for a series against the Philadelphia Phillies beginning Tuesday. The Angels, meanwhile, will host the Boston Red Sox on Monday. Right-hander Walker Buehler (5-5, 5.95 ERA) is scheduled to start for Boston, while Los Angeles has not yet announced a starter at the reporting time. Betting odds for Monday’s game list the Red Sox as slight -120 favorites, with the over/under set at 9.5 runs.
