Astros ride five-run second inning to series win over Angels

ASTROS DEFEAT ANGELS

Astros ride five-run second inning to series win over Angels
The Astros beat the Angels, 7-3. Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images.

Isaac Paredes hit a three-run homer to cap Houston’s five-run second inning, Hayden Wesneski struck out a career-high 10 and the Astros beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-3 on Sunday.

Cam Smith and Mauricio Dubón hit RBI singles off Angels starter Kyle Hendricks (0-1) before Paredes launched his home run into the Crawford Boxes to give the Astros a 5-2 lead. Paredes has homered in three straight games, all to left field.

Jeremy Peña had an RBI groundout in the sixth and Jose Altuve hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh.

Wesneski (1-1) allowed three runs — all on solo home runs — and five hits in six innings. He retired 11 straight during one stretch before Kevin Newman’s two-out single in the fifth.

Taylor Ward led off for the Angels with a solo homer, his 10th career leadoff home run. He has five homers in his last five games.

Nolan Schanuel hit a solo shot in the second and Jorge Soler hit a solo home run in the sixth.

Hendricks allowed five runs and four hits in four innings. Hendricks had allowed two runs over 11 innings in his first two starts this season.

Key moment

With runners on first and second and two outs in the seventh, Bryan Abreu struck out Ward to end the inning and keep Houston ahead by three.

Key stat

Houston pitching combined for 16 strikeouts and no walks.

Up next

After an off day Monday, Los Angeles LHP Yusei Kikuchi (0-2, 5.00 ERA) starts Tuesday in the opener of a three-game series at Texas. Houston LHP Framber Valdez (1-1, 2.50) starts Monday in the opener of a three-game series at St. Louis.

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Ninth-inning heroics push Astros past Royals in thriller

Astros defeat the Royals, 2-1. Photo by Jack Gorman/Getty Images.

Isaac Paredes hit a tiebreaking solo homer in the ninth inning to lift the Houston Astros to a 2-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night.

The game was tied at 1 after a home run by Jeremy Peña in the sixth inning when Paredes led off the bottom of the ninth against John Schreiber (1-2). He sent his second pitch to left-center field for his fifth homer this season, giving Houston the win after Kansas City took the series opener Monday.

Both teams got strong outings from their starters. Houston’s Framber Valdez allowed six hits and a run with seven strikeouts in eight innings. Kris Bubic yielded six hits and a run and tied a career high with nine strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.

Bryan Abreu (1-1) struck out one in a scoreless ninth for the win.

Hunter Renfroe doubled off the wall in left-center field with one out in the eighth. Valdez plunked Jonathan India on the foot with two outs, but he induced a groundout by Bobby Witt Jr. to end his night.

Maikel Garcia walked to open the fifth before a single by Vinnie Pasquantino sent him to third. The Royals took a 1-0 lead when Freddy Fermin singled on a ground ball to right field that scored Garcia.

Peña’s home run to left field tied it with no outs in the sixth.

Jose Altuve followed with a double on a grounder down the third base line, but Bubic retired the next three batters, with two strikeouts, to leave him stranded.

Jake Meyers singled to start Houston’s seventh, but was out at second when Cam Smith grounded into a force out. Bubic was replaced by Lucas Erceg and he picked off Smith at first before striking out Brendan Rodgers to end the inning.

Key moment

The home run by Paredes.

Key stat

Peña has three homers, four doubles, 24 hits and 13 RBIs in 15 games since moving to the leadoff spot.

Up next

Kansas City RHP Michael Lorenzen (3-3, 3.57 ERA) opposes LHP Colton Gordon in the series finale Wednesday night. Gordon will be recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land to make his major league debut.

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