Image via Stephen Uzick
I'm not here with another hot take on what should or shouldn't be done regarding the Astros and the sign stealing hoopla. What I do have here is a short and sweet message for Astros fans.
Stop trying to justify it, stop trying to push back against the Twitterverse and media coming after the team and Houston. It is time to give in the dark side (something I wrote about previously, before the sign stealing saga). Let's face it, we are the bad guys but the villains always have more fun, right? Nothing will infuriate the rest of baseball more than for Astro fan to lean into this role, and that sounds pretty entertaining to me. So free yourself of the hand-wringing of wondering if the "apology" was enough, stop crying about the national media, and don't worry if being a fan of the franchise makes you a bad person. Relish the hatred, let it make you stronger and join me under the new Astros flag this season.
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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.