Houston splits the series
Correa's ninth-inning homer lifts Astros over Angels
Apr 6, 2021, 5:59 pm
Carlos Correa's first home run of the season was a big one. Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
Carlos Correa's first home run of the season was a big one.
With their first loss in the books, the Astros returned to Angel Stadium on Tuesday afternoon to try and end their opening road trip with a win to split the two-game set with the Angels and move back into sole possession of first place in the AL West. They had their current ace, Zack Greinke, on the mound to try and get it done.
Greinke did his part, providing seven innings of two-run baseball. It would take a late spark to get the job done for Houston, though, as the game stayed tied for most of the afternoon.
Final Score: Astros 4, Angels 2
Astros' Record: 5-1, first in the AL West
Winning Pitcher: Ryan Pressly (1-0)
Losing Pitcher: Raisel Iglesias (1-1)
Both teams trade two-run innings early
In this game, the Angels would get on the board first. In the bottom of the first inning against Greinke, Shohei Ohtani reached on an infield single, setting up a two-run homer by Mike Trout to make it a 2-0 Los Angeles advantage. The Astros responded quickly, getting back-to-back solo shots by Kyle Tucker and Aledmys Diaz to tie the game in the top of the second.
Both starters settle in as game stays tied
The teams stayed gridlocked 2-2 as both Greinke and Angels starter Dylan Bundy settled in over the next several innings. Bundy would keep Houston off the board through six innings while striking out ten, giving way to the bullpen starting in the seventh. Greinke, meanwhile, was able to complete seven innings, allowing just two hits after the first inning. His final line: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 96 P.
Correa's clutch home run seals the deal
Ryan Pressly would take over for Greinke to try and keep the game tied in the bottom of the eighth. He did so, working around a two-out single to send the tied game to the ninth. Houston would finally break the stalemate, with Yordan Alvarez leading off the top of the ninth with a broken-bat single, setting up Carlos Correa's first home run of the season, a two-run shot to give the Astros their first lead of the day, 4-2.
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Houston takes the lead in the 9thā¼ļø
(via @astros)pic.twitter.com/DPPLdR9gwz
ā FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) April 6, 2021
Pressly remained on the mound in the bottom of the ninth for a rare two-inning outing and would earn the win by erasing a one-out single to end the game, splitting the short two-game series. The victory also put the Astros back in sole possession of first place in the AL West.
Up Next: Houston will travel back home for an off-day tomorrow before their home opener Thursday night. They'll get to face the A's for three more, with the opener starting at 7:10 PM Central and featuring Cole Irvin (0-1, 8.31 ERA) on the mound for Oakland and Cristian Javier (0-0, 4.91 ERA) making his second start for the Astros.
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Itās May 1, and the Astros are turning headsābut not for the reasons anyone expected. Their resurgence, driven not by stars like Yordan Alvarez or Christian Walker, but by a cast of less-heralded names, is writing a strange and telling early-season story.
Christian Walker, brought in to add middle-of-the-order thump, has yet to resemble the feared hitter he was in Arizona. Forget the narrative of a slow starterāheās never looked like this in April. Through March and April of 2025, heās slashing a worrying .196/.277/.355 with a .632 OPS. Compare that to the same stretch in 2024, when he posted a .283 average, .496 slug, and a robust .890 OPS, and it becomes clear: this is something more than rust. Even in 2023, his April numbers (.248/.714 OPS) looked steadier.
Whatās more troubling than the overall dip is when itās happening. Walker is faltering in the biggest moments. With runners in scoring position, heās hitting just .143 over 33 plate appearances, including 15 strikeouts. The struggles get even more glaring with two outsā.125 average, .188 slugging, and a .451 OPS in 19 such plate appearances. In ālate and closeā situations, when the pressureās highest, heās practically disappeared: 1-for-18 with a .056 average and a .167 OPS.
His patience has waned (only 9 walks so far, compared to 20 by this time last year), and for now, his presence in the lineup feels more like a placeholder than a pillar.
The contrast couldnāt be clearer when you look at JosĆ© Altuveālong the engine of this franchiseāwho, in 2024, delivered in the moments Walker is now missing. With two outs and runners in scoring position, Altuve hit .275 with an .888 OPS. In late and close situations, he thrived with a .314 average and .854 OPS. That kind of situational excellence is missing from this 2025 squadābut someone else may yet step into that role.
And yetāthe Astros are winning. Not because of Walker, but in spite of him.
Houstonās offense, in general, hasnāt lit up the leaderboard. Their team OPS ranks 23rd (.667), their slugging 25th (.357), and they sit just 22nd in runs scored (117). Theyāre 26th in doubles, a rare place for a team built on gap-to-gap damage.
But where thereās been light, it hasnāt come from the usual spots. Jeremy PeƱa, often overshadowed in a lineup full of stars, now boasts the teamās highest OPS at .791 (Isaac Paredes is second in OPS) and is flourishing in his new role as the leadoff hitter. PeƱaās balance of speed, contact, aggression, and timely power has given Houston a surprising tone-setter at the top.
Even more surprising: four Astros currently have more home runs than Yordan Alvarez.
And then thereās the pitchingāHoustonās anchor. The rotation and bullpen have been elite, ranking 5th in ERA (3.23), 1st in WHIP (1.08), and 4th in batting average against (.212). In a season where offense is lagging and clutch hits are rare, the arms have made all the difference.
For now, itās the unexpected contributors keeping Houston afloat. PeƱaās emergence. A rock-solid pitching staff. Role players stepping up in quiet but crucial ways. Theyāre not dominating, but theyāre grindingāand in a sluggish AL West, that may be enough.
Walker still has time to find his swing. He showed some signs of life against Toronto and Detroit. If he does, the Astros could become dangerous. If he doesnāt, the turnaround weāre witnessing will be credited to a new cast of unlikely faces. And maybe, thatās the story that needed to be written.
We have so much more to discuss. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold āStros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday!
*ChatGPT assisted.
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