Astros get a shutout win against the Angels
Astros daily report presented by APG&E: 2 hits from the 4-0 win
Sep 27, 2019, 11:45 pm
Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
With a tough loss on Thursday to start this final four-game series of the season, Houston looked to extend their franchise-record winning season and stay on top of the race for home-field advantage through the World Series. Here is a quick look at Friday's game in Los Angeles against the Angels:
Final Score: Astros 4, Angels 0.
Record: 105-55, first in the AL West.
Winning pitcher: Jose Urquidy (2-1, 3.95 ERA).
Losing pitcher: Patrick Sandoval (0-4, 5.03 ERA).
1) Urquidy builds trust with six shutout innings
While Wade Miley was unable to put together an impressive enough start the night before to fully secure trust in him as the fourth starter in Houston's rotation, Jose Urquidy took advantage of an opportunity on Friday night. He gave his team six shutout innings, showcasing his upside as a possible starter.
While it may not have won him the fourth spot in the playoff rotation since Wade Miley may still receive the benefit of the doubt, it was nonetheless a welcome sight to see him perform well. Urquidy's final line: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 0 HR.
2) Bregman and Brantley provide the offense
On the other side, the Astros were not able to put up much offense either in the early goings of the game, save a solo home run by Alex Bregman to lead off the top of the second which gave Houston the 1-0 lead they held through Urquidy's six innings and beyond.
6 homers in 11 games. @ABREG_1 is locked in. pic.twitter.com/eeouDL9xoH
— MLB (@MLB) September 28, 2019
Ryan Pressly took to the mound in the bottom of the seventh and had a quick 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts. In the top of the eighth, the Astros were able to tack on to their lead after putting two runners on to set up a three-run homer for Michael Brantley to make it 4-0 Houston.
In the bottom of that inning, Will Harris tossed three strikeouts on nine pitches, all pitches resulting in strikes swinging or looking, an immaculate inning. Josh James closed things out in the ninth, securing home-field advantage for the Astros through at least the American League playoffs.
Up Next: Justin Verlander (20-6, 2.53 ERA) will make his final, likely abbreviated, start on Saturday as the Astros play the Angels again at 8:07 PM. Jose Suarez (2-4, 7.34 ERA) is the expected starter for Los Angeles.
The Astros daily report is presented by APG&E.
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Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.
Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.
The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.
Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Key moment
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Key Stat
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Up next
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.