ANAHEIM, Calif. – September 27, 2025 – Christian Walker homered twice and drove in three runs as the Houston Astros defeated the Los Angeles Angels 6-1 at Angel Stadium on Saturday night, just hours after being mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. The victory improved Houston’s record to 86-75, but it came too late to prevent their first postseason absence since 2016.
The Astros wasted little time establishing control, striking for two runs in the second inning when Zach Cole belted a two-run homer to center field (398 feet), scoring Yainer Diaz ahead of him to give Houston an early 2-0 advantage.
Houston extended their lead in the fourth inning with a pair of solo home runs. Walker connected for his first homer of the night, a 384-foot blast to left field that made it 3-0. The power display continued when Jesus Sanchez followed with a two-run shot to right field (378 feet), scoring Cole and pushing the Astros’ advantage to 5-0.
The Angels managed their only run of the game in the sixth inning when Jo Adell doubled to left field, scoring Mike Trout to cut the deficit to 5-1. However, that would be as close as the Angels would get.
Walker capped off his stellar performance with his second home run of the night in the ninth inning, a 396-foot blast to left field that provided the final margin at 6-1. The two-homer performance gave Walker 27 home runs on the season and 88 RBIs.
AJ Blubaugh (4-1, 1.69 ERA) was masterful on the mound for Houston, throwing four shutout innings while allowing just one hit and walking four batters. He struck out two in earning his fourth victory of the season.
The Angels bullpen provided solid relief work, with Craig Kimbrel throwing a perfect fifth inning with two strikeouts, and Bryan De Los Santos contributing a scoreless eighth with two more strikeouts. Hunter France closed out the game with two strikeouts in the ninth.
Angels starter Caden Dana (0-4, 6.39 ERA) took the loss, surrendering five runs on six hits over six innings. He struck out five batters but was victimized by the long ball, allowing three home runs.
Statistical Notes
- Walker’s multi-homer game was his third of the season and moved him past the 85-RBI mark for the year
- Cole added two hits, two RBIs, and two runs scored, while also stealing a base
- The Astros out-hit the Angels 7-3 and struck out 11 Angels batters
- Houston left just one runner on base, going 1-for-1 with runners in scoring position
- The Angels struggled with runners in scoring position, going 0-for-7
Despite the convincing victory, the win came after Houston had already been eliminated from playoff contention earlier in the day when results from other games made it mathematically impossible for the Astros to reach the postseason. The loss ends Houston’s remarkable eight-year playoff streak, marking the first time since 2016 that the Astros will not participate in October baseball.