Heading into Sunday’s matchup with the Los Angeles Angels, the Houston Astros won the previous two games and were looking to complete the road sweep. The game went back and forth throughout but Logan O’Hoppe came up big with a walk-off homer in the ninth to give the Angels the 9-7 win and drop the Astros’ record to 30-36.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Jose Altuve opened the game with a single into right field but Alex Bregman grounded into a double play and Yordan Alvarez lined out.
Justin Verlander started on the mound for Houston and didn’t allow a hit in the first inning. However, Los Angeles got on the board first in the second as Kevin Pillar doubled into center field, and then Logan O’Hoppe singled to put runners on the corners. Nolan Schanuel drove in Pillar with a sacrifice fly into left to put the Angels up one early.
Houston responded at the top of the third as Mauricio Dubon forced a leadoff walk. Jose Abreu singled to put runners on first and second then Altuve hit an RBI single up the middle. Bregman followed that with an RBI double. Alvarez was intentionally walked to load the bases and Jeremy Pena singled into left field to put the Astros up 3-1.
Los Angeles tied the game at the bottom of the fourth. Willie Calhoun reached on an infield single and a pitch hit Pillar. O’Hoppe loaded the bases with a single and Schanuel hit another sac fly to drive in a run. Zach Neto also got hit and Mickey Moniak hit the third sac fly for the Angels to even the game at three.
The Angels took their first lead at the bottom of the fifth as Calhoun hit an RBI single into left field after Luis Rengifo singled and stole second base.
Houston responded at the top of the sixth. With two outs, Dubon singled then Abreu hit an RBI double. That run forced a switch on the mound from Patrick Sandoval to Hunter Strickland. Chas McCormick’s RBI double into left field gave the Astros the lead back, and then Altuve hit a two-run home run to give Houston the three-run lead.
LA cut into the lead at the bottom of the frame as O’Hoppe scored on an RBI single by Moniak. Raphael Montero gave up that hit after hit came in for Seth Martinez who lasted just .2 innings. Verlander finished the day with seven hits and four runs allowed while recording three strikeouts in five innings.
The game was tied at seven in the eighth as O’Hoppe led with a ground rule down. Schanuel struck out but Neto hit an RBI double to center field and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Moniak walked and Michael Stefanic evened the score with a ground out to second.
Houston failed to reclaim the lead in the ninth and O’Hoppe made them pay with a two-run walk-off home run. Astros left fielder Trey Cabbage caught the ball at the wall but lost in the stands as he came down. After review the play stood as the game-winner as the Angels survived 9-7, dropping the Astros’ record to 30-36.
BIG NUMBER: 26
A lot of offensive baseball in Sunday’s game three between the Astros and Angels featured 26 total hits. 14 came from Houston while the other 12 were from Los Angeles.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Logan O’Hoppe
The hero for the Angels went 4/5 from the plate on Sunday as he scored three runs, had two RBI, and the walk-off homer to salvage the series against the Astros with a 9-7 win.
UP NEXT: The Houston Astros will remain on the West Coast as they have a week series against the San Francisco Giants. First pitch of game one at Oracle Park is scheduled for 8:45 on Monday, June 10th. The pregame will be at 8:15 and all the action can be heard on ESPN 103.7 Lafayette and 104.1 Lake Charles.