INTERVIEW

ESPN's Twellman: U.S Soccer ticket pricing leaves questions

Taylor Twellman, ESPN's lead soccer match analyst for Major League Soccer and the U.S. Men's National Team, joined Soccer Matters with Glenn Davis on ESPN 97.5 to talk about the upcoming USMNT friendlies in Orlando and Houston. Among the topics Twellman and Davis dive in are the forward pool, criticism in the media and ticket pricing.

The U.S. Men will face Ecuador at Orlando City Stadium on Thursday night (7 p.m. CT, ESPN2) before coming to Houston to face Chile at BBVA Compass Stadium (7 p.m. CT, ESPN2). Twellman will be the color analyst for both of those national broadcasts.

[GRANATO: Soccer really does matter - and it could matter even more]

You can hear Soccer Matters with Glenn Davis Tuesdays on ESPN 97.5 from 7-9 pm. You can listen live or on demand with the ESPN 97.5 radio app and on PodcastArena.com.

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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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