MLS PLAYOFFS
Dynamo drop home opener 2-0, need huge effort in Seattle to advance
SportsMap Staff
Nov 22, 2017, 5:44 am
Mauro Manotas and the Dynamo were unable to get much going against Seattle. Michelle Watson
The Dynamo's hopes of reaching the MLS Cup took a serious blow Tuesday night when they lost to the Seattle Sounders 2-0 in the first leg of the two-part Western Conference Finals.
Seattle got goals from Gustav Svensson and former Dynamo Will Bruin, and Houston was forced to play with 10 men for most of the match after Jalil Anibaba picked up a red card. The Dynamo created some chances late but could not overcome fatigue to get a goal.
With the two road goals, Seattle is in prime shape to end the series next week and advance to the MLS Cup to face Toronto or Colombus. It will be a tall task for the Dynamo, who won one road game all season against D.C. United, one of the worst teams in the league. And Seattle has just one home loss all year, to Toronto FC, the team with the best record in the league.
The Dynamo and Sounders will play in Seattle on Thursday, Nov. 30, with Seattle holding a 2-0 aggregate lead, with two critical road goals.
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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.