Astros get big hits from Walker and Paredes to top Padres
ASTROS DEFEAT PADRES
20 April
ASTROS DEFEAT PADRES
Isaac Paredes hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the seventh inning after Christian Walker's two-run homer in the sixth tied it up, leading the Houston Astros to a 3-2 win over the San Diego Padres on Saturday night.
WALKER LASER. TIE GAME.#BuiltForThis pic.twitter.com/wvhvQ7EKIi
— Houston Astros (@astros) April 20, 2025
Paredes hit a bloop single to short center field with two outs off San Diego’s Jeremiah Estrada (0-1), who had allowed two hits in 10 1/3 innings before Saturday.
Walker, who was moved out of the cleanup spot for the first time after batting .159 through the first 19 games, homered on a 1-0 sweeper from Michael King with two outs, his second of the season.
Bryan Abreu worked a scoreless eighth inning and Josh Hader, on his bobblehead giveaway night, pitched a scoreless ninth and got former Padres teammate Yuli Gurriel to fly out to end the game. Tayler Scott (1-1) worked two innings of relief and earned the win.
Fernando Tatis Jr. hit his seventh homer of the season in the third inning. Manny Machado helped add to an early lead when he followed a Tatis single and stolen base with an RBI double in the fifth inning for the Padres, who lost back-to-back games for the second time this season.
Outfielder Tirso Ornelas, who signed with the Padres in 2016, made his major league debut. The 25-year-old Ornelas was called up from Triple-A El Paso where he was hitting .281. His journey to Houston was almost as trying as his climb to the big leagues. He had two flights canceled, delaying his arrival, and was inserted as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning and flied out.
Paredes’ RBI single in the seventh, which gave Houston the lead.
Houston has consecutive wins for the first time this season after beating the Padres 6-4 on Friday.
Houston LHP Framber Valdez (1-2, 4.50 ERA) opposes RHP Dylan Cease (1-1, 6.64 ERA) in the series finale on Sunday.
José Soriano and two relievers combined for a two-hitter and Oswald Peraza hit his first home run since a trade from the Yankees to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 3-0 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday.
Soriano (10-9) allowed one hit and struck out eight in seven innings. Luis García allowed one hit in a scoreless eighth and Kenley Jansen threw a perfect ninth for his 25th save.
There were two outs in the fifth when Peraza connected off Hunter Brown (10-7) into the bullpen in right-center field to put the Angels up 1-0. His homer comes after his two-run single in the ninth inning Saturday helped Los Angeles to a 4-1 victory that snapped a three-game skid.
Yoan Moncada walked to start the eighth and scored on Mike Trout’s double that bounced off the wall in center field to make it 2-0. Taylor Ward walked before Luis Rengifo reached and Trout scored on an error by Lance McCullers Jr. when the pitcher overthrew first base.
Yordan Alvarez singled with no outs in the first and Soriano walked a batter in the second and sixth innings. The Astros didn’t get another hit until Ramón Urías doubled with one out in the eighth inning. Los Angeles outfielder Taylor Ward was injured trying to make a catch on that hit when he crashed face-first into the metal scoreboard in left field.
He was carted off the field holding a towel to the right side of his face. He was taken to a hospital by ambulance where interim manager Ray Montgomery said he would receive stitches to close the cut and be evaluated.
Brown allowed three hits and a run with five strikeouts in six innings. McCullers Jr. allowed three hits and two runs in his first relief appearance since 2018.
The home run by Peraza.
It’s the fifth time the Astros have been shut out this month.
LHP Yusei Kikuchi (6-9, 3.68 ERA) will start for Los Angeles in the series finale Monday against RHP Luis Garcia, who’ll make his return after sitting out since May 2023 recovering from Tommy John surgery.