Astros keep doing this, and it’s getting hard to ignore

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Astros keep doing this, and it’s getting hard to ignore
The Astros beat the Phillies, 2-0. Photo by Jack Gorman/Getty Images.

Victor Caratini homered, Isaac Paredes drove in a run and the Houston Astros shut out the Philadelphia Phillies for a second straight game with a 2-0 victory on Wednesday night.

Houston starter Colton Gordon (3-1) allowed four singles and struck out four in five innings.

Josh Hader struck out one in the ninth for his 21st save.

Jeremy Peña hit a leadoff ground-rule double and scored on a groundball single by Isaac Paredes to give Houston an early lead.

Houston’s pitching staff had retired nine straight when Brandon Marsh singled to right field off Bryan King with one out in the eighth. Trea Turner’s single on a grounder to center field sent Marsh to third before Kyle Schwarber singled on an infield grounder to load the bases.

But, King struck out Alec Bohm before Nick Castellanos grounded out to leave Philadelphia emptyhanded.

Caratini’s solo shot came with two outs in the bottom of the inning to give the Astros an insurance run.

Wednesday’s win comes after the Astros got a 1-0 victory in Tuesday’s series opener. Houston is now tied with Philadelphia and Chicago for the third-best record in baseball (47-33).

Philadelphia starter Zack Wheeler (7-3) yielded four hits and a run while striking out eight in six innings.

The Phillies had runners on first and second with one out in the fifth, but Gordon struck out Marsh and Turner to end the threat.

Jake Meyers sprinted to make a catch on the warning track in center field on a ball hit by Bryson Stott for the second out of the seventh inning.

Key moment

King shutting the Phillies down after loading the bases in the eighth to preserve the lead.

Key stat

Wednesday was the sixth time the Phillies have been shut out this season. Philadelphia has not scored a run in 19 straight innings.

Up next

Houston RHP Hunter Brown (8-3, 1.88 ERA), whose ERA leads the majors, opposes LHP Cristopher Sánchez (6-2, 2.87) when the series concludes Thursday.

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The Angels beat the Astros, 3-0. Composite Getty Image.

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.

Key moment

The home run by Peraza.

Key stat

It’s the fifth time the Astros have been shut out this month.

Up next

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.

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