ASTROS BLOW A HUGE OPPORTUNITY

Framber Valdez collapses in fifth as Angels rally past Astros

Astros Framber Valdez
Angels defeat Astros, 9-7. Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images.

Nolan Schanuel and Logan O’Hoppe both hit three-run homers and Jo Adell added a solo shot as the Los Angeles Angels jumped on Framber Valdez for seven runs in the fifth inning to power them to a 9-7 win over the Houston Astros on Monday night.

Zach Neto homered in the sixth inning to give the Angels a season-high four home runs as they won for the fourth time in five games.

It's the first time in franchise history the Angels have had four players age 25 or younger homer in the same game.

“They're growing up,” manager Ron Washington said. “They’re starting to figure things out. They really didn’t try to do too much and they ended up doing a lot. And that’s what it’s about.”

They trailed by five with two on and one out in the fifth when Schanuel homered to right field to cut the lead to 6-4. There were two on again with two outs when O’Hoppe connected to put Los Angeles up 7-6.

Adell sent the next pitch by Valdez (3-2) into the seats in right field to push it to 8-6.

Valdez was tagged for a season-high 10 hits and tied a career high by giving up eight runs in five innings.

“He just kind of was lost, started leaving some pitches in the heart of the plate and they put some really good swings on them,” manager Joe Espada said. “His stuff was really good... just that fifth inning he kind of lost the feel for the zone.”

Rafael Montero took over to start the sixth and was greeted with a homer by Neto to leave the Angels up 9-6.

Houston led 6-1 early after a three-run homer by Jose Altuve and a two-run shot from Mauricio Dubón before the big inning by Los Angeles.

Reid Detmers allowed eight hits and six runs in four innings. José Suarez (1-0) struck out one in two scoreless innings for the win.

Along with his home run, Adell wowed on defense, too when he robbed Yainer Diaz of a home run for the first out of the ninth inning. Adell jumped to grab the ball just before crashing into the padded wall in right field, causing reliever Carlos Estévez to raise both of his arms and cheer.

“He’s growing in front of your face,” Washington said. “That was a big-time play and that play right there may have saved the game.”

Estévez allowed an RBI single to Kyle Tucker to cut the lead to 9-7 with two outs before walking Yordan Alvarez. But he retired Alex Bregman on a fly out to end it and get his seventh save.

Schanuel and Luis Rengifo both singled to open the first before Schanuel scored on a sacrifice fly by Taylor Ward.

Jeremy Peña singled with no outs in the bottom of the inning and stole second base with one out. The Astros tied it when he scored on a two-out single by Diaz before a single by Dubón.

Altuve sent a high fastball from Detmers into the seats in left field to put Houston on top 4-1.

Diaz doubled with one out in the fourth before the Astros pushed the lead to 6-1 on the homer by Dubón.

ABREU’S RETURN

Struggling first baseman José Abreu could rejoin the Astros as soon as this weekend, less than a month after agreeing to be optioned to the minors to work on his swing.

The 2020 AL MVP batted .099 with just one extra-base hit and three RBIs in 22 games this season before his demotion.

“He looks like he’s in a much better offensive position, but also mentally,” Espada said. “That’s another area we wanted him to clear his mind and reset and we feel he’s getting closer.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros: OF Chas McCormick (right hamstring discomfort) is nearing a return after playing six minor league rehabilitation games. Espada wouldn’t say exactly when he’d be activated but indicated that it would be soon.

UP NEXT

Houston RHP Cristian Javier (3-1, 3.23 ERA) opposes RHP Griffin Canning (2-4, 5.21) when the series continues Tuesday night.

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The All-Star Break came at the perfect time for Houston. Composite Getty Image.

After riding high from a statement sweep of the Dodgers, the Astros limped into the All-Star break, having lost five of their last six games, including two of three to the rival Rangers. They still hold a five-game lead in the American League West, but the momentum they carried into July has cooled considerably.

While it’s tempting to point to the battered lineup as the reason for Houston’s recent struggles, the more pressing issue has been on the mound. For much of the season, elite pitching has masked an offense operating in the league’s bottom third. But during this six-game slide, the script flipped. Over the last seven days, Houston ranks 24th in team ERA at 5.37. The offense hasn’t been great either, 20th in runs, 22nd in OPS, 23rd in batting average, but those numbers aren’t that far off their season-long identity. The difference is that the pitching has stopped bailing them out.

The good news? Help may be (somewhat) on the way.

Astros GM Dana Brown recently provided updates on three key contributors. Shortstop Jeremy Peña isn’t expected back immediately after the break, but Brown said it shouldn’t be long before he returns from a fractured rib. Yordan Alvarez, meanwhile, is progressing well from his hand injury. According to Brown, Alvarez has “absolutely no pain” and will be re-evaluated Thursday. If cleared to swing, the Astros plan to expedite his return. Center fielder Jake Meyers, however, remains at least three weeks away as he recovers from a calf injury.

On the pitching front, expectations for late-season contributions from Cristian Javier and Luis Garcia remain uncertain. Both pitchers have thrown rehab starts recently in the Florida Complex League. Garcia has now been out for over two years following Tommy John surgery. If he’s not able to return this season, serious questions will need to be asked about his long-term outlook. Javier, also rehabbing from Tommy John, may be an option in August, but expectations should be tempered. As Brown himself has admitted, he tends to be optimistic. Fans would be wise to stay grounded.

Another arm to watch is Spencer Arrighetti. With no major injury (thumb) holding him back, Arrighetti may be Houston’s most viable rotation boost in the second half.

Fortunately, the schedule sets up favorably after the break. Over the next seven series, the Astros face four sub-.500 teams. But that doesn’t mean anything is guaranteed, especially if current trends continue.

Lance McCullers remains an enigma. When he’s locked in, he gives Houston a legitimate No. 3-caliber arm. When he’s off, he’s out of the game early and the bullpen pays the price. Manager Joe Espada faces one of his toughest managing challenges every time McCullers takes the hill.

Cam Smith has cooled off at the plate, hitless in his last 11 at-bats. He’s also been bounced all over the batting order. A simple solution? Plant him in the cleanup spot and let him adjust without the added mental shuffle.

And then there’s Josh Hader. The All-Star closer has surrendered home runs in three of his last four outings. If Houston is going to continue winning tight games with a low-margin offense, Hader has to be lights-out. His dominance alongside a top-tier setup man (Bryan Abreu) has been a pillar of the Astros’ success model this season. They need that foundation to hold.

The Astros aren’t panicking — nor should they. But after a hot run turned lukewarm, the margin for error is shrinking. The second half opens with an opportunity to bank wins and regain rhythm. Whether Houston capitalizes depends on health, consistency, and maybe a little creativity from the front office.

There's 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 ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.

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