Houston starts 2022 with a win
Astros grab tenth-straight Opening Day win in victory over Angels
Apr 8, 2022, 12:28 am
Photo by Elsa/Getty Images
Framber Valdez started the 2022 season with a win on Opening Day.
The Astros start the 2022 season with nine games on the road before they get their home opener on April 18th. That didn't prevent them from spoiling things for the Angels in Anaheim in Thursdays season opener, though, as they kicked off the year with a win in a division rival's home stadium.
Final Score: Astros 3, Angels 1
Astros' Record: 1-0, first in the AL West
Winning Pitcher: Framber Valdez (1-0)
Losing Pitcher: Shohei Ohtani (0-1)
Although Ohtani was able to rack up some impressive strikeouts, getting up to nine over his 4.2 IP, it came while allowing the Astros to jump out in front. Houston put up the first run of the season in the top of the third, getting a two-out double by Michael Brantley who would come in to score on a RBI-single by Alex Bregman, looking to put together a MVP-like season in 2022 now that he is fully healthy.
While Ohtani would reach the early-season max of 80 pitches in the fifth, leaving with a 1-0 deficit, Framber Valdez was able to work his way through an efficient six and two-thirds innings on around the same amount of pitches, getting two outs into the seventh before Dusty Baker would bring in Phil Maton to finish the inning and preserve the one-run lead.
Because we remember. pic.twitter.com/GsmA84Vujs
— Houston Astros (@astros) April 8, 2022
The Astros extended the lead in the top of the eighth, getting back-to-back homers to start the inning by Alex Bregman and Yordan Alvarez, making it a 3-0 advantage in an inning where Houston would get heavy contact against reliver Ryan Tepera. Los Angeles got on the board in the bottom of the eighth, taking advantage of a hit batter as David Fletcher would get a RBI-triple against Maton, making it 3-1.
Houston held on to the two-run lead though, as Hector Neris would enter to finish the eighth, and then brought in closer Ryan Pressly in the bottom of the ninth to get his first save of the season. Despite a leadoff single by Mike Trout to bring the tying run to the plate, Pressly would overcome it with a flyout then a double play to win their tenth straight Opening Day game, tying the major-league record set by the 1887-1896 Boston Beaneaters.
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Fred VanVleet scored 37 points and the surging Houston Rockets won their ninth straight, beating the Miami Heat 102-98 Friday night.
VanVleet shot 13 for 17 from the field and made a season-high 9 of 11 3-pointers as the Rockets extended the league’s longest active winning streak. Houston also snapped a nine-game skid against Miami, which lost its 10th straight. It is the Heat’s longest skid since they lost 11th straight in 2007-08.
Amen Thompson returned after missing the last six games because of a sprained left ankle and finished with 18 points and seven steals while Dillon Brooks and Jabari Smith each added 11 points for the Rockets.
Houston rallied from an 11-point deficit early in the third quarter and got to 80-78 on Jalen Green’s jumper to close the period.
Miami’s Andrew Wiggins scored 30 points, his highest total since the Heat acquired him from Golden State for Jimmy Butler on Feb. 6. Kel’el Ware had 16 points and 14 rebounds, while Bam Adebayo also scored 16 points for the Heat.
Takeaways
Rockets: Houston remained second in the Western Conference.
Heat: Miami squandered its 20th double digit lead that led to a loss. Wiggins’ jump shot two minutes into the third period put the Heat ahead 65-54 before Houston rallied.
Key moment
VanVleet went on a personal 9-2 run to start the fourth that put the Rockets ahead for good. He hit two 3-pointers, a lay-up and made 1 of 2 free throws that gave Houston an 87-84 lead.
Key stat
The Rockets outrebounded the Heat 46-34 for their eighth consecutive game of winning the rebounding edge against their opponent.
Up next
Rockets host Denver on Sunday, and Heat host Charlotte.