Altuve delivers at the plate as Astros cruise past Angels
Sep 1, 2025, 7:03 pm
The Astros beat the Angels, 8-3. Composite Getty Image.
Jose Altuve hit a two-run homer and an RBI single and Ramón Urías also went deep to back up a strong start from Luis Garcia, leading the Houston Astros to an 8-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Monday.
Ramon Urias makes it 1-0, Astros!
Join us for some Labor Day baseball on SCHN!#BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/0yQO4HW55u
— Space City Home Network (@SpaceCityHN) September 1, 2025
Garcia (1-0) got the win in his return after sitting out more than two years while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He allowed three hits and three runs with six strikeouts in six innings in his first start since May 1, 2023.
The game was tied with one out in the fifth when Yordan Alvarez singled before moving to second on a groundout by Altuve. Carlos Correa then singled on a grounder to center field to score Alvarez and give Houston a 4-3 lead.
Cam Smith singled with two outs in the sixth to chase Yusei Kikuchi (6-10) before stealing second base. Mauricio Dubón walked and Jeremy Peña’s second double of the day scored Smith to make it 5-3.
Alvarez added an RBI single in the eighth before Altuve’s homer made it 8-3.
Altuve caught up with Julia Morales after the win!
After today's 8-3 win over the Angels, Jose Altuve visited with @JuliaMorales!
The Astros are back in action tomorrow and it's a special one as it's our annual @astros Charity Game with coverage beginning at 6:00!#BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/6RidLfKo3r
— Space City Home Network (@SpaceCityHN) September 1, 2025
Zach Neto hit a solo home run and Jo Adell added a two-run shot for the Angels, whose two-game winning streak was snapped.
Garcia retired the first nine batters before Neto homered to open the fourth inning. Mike Trout singled with one out before Adell launched his 31st homer into the seats in left field to put the Angels on top 3-2.
Kikuchi gave up eight hits and five runs in 5 2/3 innings.
Key moment
Correa’s RBI single in the fifth put Houston on top for good.
For the lead!#TheNextFrontier pic.twitter.com/1CIjdhPevq
— Houston Astros (@astros) September 1, 2025
Key stat
The Astros improved to 18-9 this season in games started by a left-hander.
Up next
The Angels haven’t announced their starter for Tuesday night’s game at Kansas City.
Houston LHP Framber Valdez (12-7, 3.18 ERA) opposes LHP Max Fried (14-5, 3.06) in the opener of a series against the Yankees on Tuesday night.
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Thoughts on Rockies-Astros series
After a rough opening loss to the Rockies, where Hunter Brown got knocked around early, the Astros regrouped and took the final two games to secure the series win. Framber Valdez delivered a much-needed dominant outing, a welcome sight after several shaky starts in August. Jason Alexander did his job as well, pounding the zone and keeping Houston within striking distance until the bats broke through.
Christian Walker provided the big swing in the finale with a go-ahead home run late, continuing his red-hot stretch — five homers in his last seven games. On the pitching side, Brian King and Bryan Abreu both turned in strong work to help close the door for Houston.
Yordan’s impact on the lineup
If Walker keeps producing near his career norms and Yordan Alvarez stays healthy, the Astros’ offense has the potential to overwhelm. Yordan’s return was immediately felt against the Rockies, giving the lineup a depth and presence that manager Joe Espada can slot anywhere.
With Jeremy Peña, Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve, Yordan, Walker, Jesus Sánchez, and eventually Yainer Díaz forming the top seven, Houston suddenly looks as deep as any contender. Add Jake Meyers once he’s back, and the order stretches even further.
Sánchez, who snapped out of a brutal 0-for-27 slump, has quietly rebounded. Over his last 11 games, he’s batting .294 with a .529 slugging percentage and two home runs, giving Houston a second left-handed bat to pair with Yordan. Combine that with Correa — who leads the team in batting average since rejoining at the trade deadline — and it’s an offense poised for a major finishing kick.
Lance McCullers moves to the bullpen
McCullers has walked as many or more hitters than innings pitched in four of his last five outings, and command remains his biggest issue. A move to the bullpen doesn’t necessarily solve that problem — in fact, it could make it worse. Walks in relief situations are costly, and McCullers hasn’t shown the consistency to trust in high-leverage spots. A piggyback role, where he follows another starter, feels like a more realistic path for him at this point.
Rotation outlook with Luis Garcia
Luis Garcia could return as soon as Monday if elevated from Sugar Land, but Houston may not need to force a sixth starter into the mix.
Luis Garcia is certainly an obvious candidate to start on Monday, which is also the first day rosters expand from 26 to 28 - https://t.co/xBPB4xaog9 https://t.co/k2oSymidc0
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) August 28, 2025
If Spencer Arrighetti can build on his last outing and Cristian Javier starts trending upward, the rotation has enough stability to carry Houston through September. Garcia’s return would be a bonus — not a necessity — for a staff that looks like it may finally be rounding into form.
There's so much more to get to! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
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