How Astros appear to be on collision course with historic offenses
MAKING HISTORY
07 June 2023
MAKING HISTORY
The Houston Astros have been on a tear over this recent stretch of games, but they haven't gained any ground on the Rangers who continue to put up runs at a historic pace.
Houston's pitching is elite again this year, but the offense is just mediocre at this point in the season. The Rangers and Rays are getting things done with elite offense and pitching, which has them leading the best two divisions in baseball.
So will the Rangers and Rays fall back to the pack like the Yankees did last year, or will the Astros have to step their game up to win the AL pennant once again?
Editor's note: This video was recorded before Jacob deGrom's surgery was announced.
Jacob deGrom will undergo Tommy John surgery and is out indefinitely, per @Evan_P_Grant pic.twitter.com/TuIPBAp6XV
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 6, 2023
Plus, which team is the biggest threat to the Astros? The Rays or the Rangers?
Be sure to watch the video above as we break it all down.
Subscribe on YouTube for our latest videos!
And listen to ESPN 97.5 and 92.5 for Houston's best sports talk.
José Soriano and two relievers combined for a two-hitter and Oswald Peraza hit his first home run since a trade from the Yankees to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 3-0 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday.
Soriano (10-9) allowed one hit and struck out eight in seven innings. Luis García allowed one hit in a scoreless eighth and Kenley Jansen threw a perfect ninth for his 25th save.
There were two outs in the fifth when Peraza connected off Hunter Brown (10-7) into the bullpen in right-center field to put the Angels up 1-0. His homer comes after his two-run single in the ninth inning Saturday helped Los Angeles to a 4-1 victory that snapped a three-game skid.
Yoan Moncada walked to start the eighth and scored on Mike Trout’s double that bounced off the wall in center field to make it 2-0. Taylor Ward walked before Luis Rengifo reached and Trout scored on an error by Lance McCullers Jr. when the pitcher overthrew first base.
Yordan Alvarez singled with no outs in the first and Soriano walked a batter in the second and sixth innings. The Astros didn’t get another hit until Ramón Urías doubled with one out in the eighth inning. Los Angeles outfielder Taylor Ward was injured trying to make a catch on that hit when he crashed face-first into the metal scoreboard in left field.
He was carted off the field holding a towel to the right side of his face. He was taken to a hospital by ambulance where interim manager Ray Montgomery said he would receive stitches to close the cut and be evaluated.
Brown allowed three hits and a run with five strikeouts in six innings. McCullers Jr. allowed three hits and two runs in his first relief appearance since 2018.
The home run by Peraza.
It’s the fifth time the Astros have been shut out this month.
LHP Yusei Kikuchi (6-9, 3.68 ERA) will start for Los Angeles in the series finale Monday against RHP Luis Garcia, who’ll make his return after sitting out since May 2023 recovering from Tommy John surgery.