He's back!
Houston Astros add familiar face to bolster outfield
Feb 6, 2025, 2:50 pm
Ben Gamel returns to Houston on a one-year deal. Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images.
Outfielder Ben Gamel is staying with the Houston Astros, agreeing Wednesday to a $1.2 million, one-year contract.
Gamel gets a $200,000 signing bonus and a $1 million salary, which is not guaranteed.
Claimed off waivers from the New York Mets on Aug. 20, Gamel hit .259 with three doubles, four RBIs and 11 walks in 22 games with Houston. His season ended Sept. 14 when he broke his left fibula while running into the right-field wall making a catch of a Mickey Moniak drive at the Los Angeles Angels.
Gamel hit .247 overall with one homer and four RBIs in 38 big league games and also batted .314 with seven homers and 24 RBIs in 45 games at Triple-A Syracuse.
He has a .252 average with 41 homers and 204 RBIs over nine major league seasons with the New York Yankees (2016), Seattle (2016-18), Milwaukee (2019-20), Cleveland (2021), Pittsburgh (2021-22), San Diego (2023), the Mets and Houston.
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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.