Sack Attack

Texans player of the game: D.J. Reader gets going to spark defense in win

Texans player of the game: D.J. Reader gets going to spark defense in win
Zach Tarrant/Houston Texans.com

The Texans had a huge day on defense getting after Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers. The spark and first to get the action going was interior lineman D.J. Reader.

Reader was all over the place for the Texans abusing the Chargers offensive line.

Reader made all of his statistical impact in the first half. He was in on two sacks, splitting one of them. He hit Philip Rivers three time on the day. Later in the second half the Texans pressure stymied a ton of the Chargers seeing J.J. Watt get to the quarterback and Whitney Mercilus grab a sack as well.

If Reader continues to play this well he could see a contract extension come his way this offseason.

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The Angels beat the Astros, 4-1. Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.

Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.

The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.

Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.

Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.

Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.

Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.

Key moment

Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.

Key Stat

Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.

Up next

Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.

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