WIll Fulller has not seen the field much, but he showed up Sunday. Tim Warner/Getty Images
He's back and he's better than ever. Will Fuller made his return to the Texans and continued the dominance he displayed last season when he and Deshaun Watson constantly connected for game-breaking plays. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough as the Texans lost to the Titans 20-17.
The third-year pass catcher was the main target for Watson today as he caught 8 passes for 113 yards and a score. The touchdown early in the fourth quarter gave the Texans their first lead of the game. Speeding down the sideline Fuller pulled down a Watson strike with Titans cornerback Malcolm Butler draped all over him.
In the first half, Fuller found success despite the struggles of Watson and the offensive line. He caught three passes for 22 yards but that was just the appetizer for the main course in the second half.
Almost all of Fuller's catches in the second half earned the Texans a first down or a score. He had catches of 20, 15, and 16 yards before his 39-yard score. It would, however, be their last score of the game.
Fuller caught balls on schedule and off as Watson used his legs to buy time. He didn't display any of the inconsistencies in his game that were present in previous years. He was a very bright spot in an ugly performance by the Texans offense.
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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.