The Houston Astros had every chance to leave Anaheim with a series win.
Instead, they left with another frustrating loss and a series defeat to the team with the worst record in the American League.
Jose Siri delivered the final blow Wednesday night, lining a walk-off single off Bryan Abreu in the bottom of the 10th inning to hand the Angels a 3-2 win at Angel Stadium. Houston fell to 31-39 and dropped two of three in the series.
For most of the night, the Astros looked positioned to grind one out.
Peter Lambert turned in one of his better outings of the season, allowing two runs without issuing a walk while working into the seventh inning. He likely would have gone deeper had a comebacker not struck his pitching hand and forced him out of the game.
Houston finally broke through in the sixth when Shay Whitcomb launched a leadoff homer to cut into Reid Detmers’ dominant outing. Cam Smith tied the game in the eighth with his seventh home run of the season.
Then came the play that changed the game.
With two outs in the ninth and Yordan Alvarez on third, Christian Walker ripped a double to left. A wild relay throw sent Alvarez charging home. He slid in safely—initially. After review, the call was overturned and the go-ahead run disappeared.
“Absolutely,” manager Joe Espada said when asked whether he liked Alvarez trying to score. “Aggressive play. We needed to try to score that run there.”
Josh Hader worked a clean ninth to force extra innings, but Houston wasted its best chance in the 10th. Jeremy Peña, pinch-running for Walker, moved to third on a wild pitch with two outs before Ryan Zeferjahn struck out Isaac Paredes and Cam Smith, then intentionally walked Joey Loperfido before retiring Whitcomb on a soft ground ball.
The Angels did not waste their opening.
Donovan Walton dropped down a bunt single to open the bottom of the inning before Siri lined Abreu’s first pitch into left field to score the automatic runner and end it.
The offense never found much rhythm all series. Houston managed 17 hits across three games against one of the league’s more hittable staffs and struck out 38 times.
“When we talk in hitters’ meetings and I have conversations with the hitters, we’re confident, we know what we’re capable of,” Walker said. “Pitchers have been awesome. I think now it’s getting the offense back on track.”
There was at least one encouraging update. Lambert said his hand remained sore after the comebacker but did not expect to need imaging, and Hunter Brown threw five innings and 78 pitches in his final rehab outing at Triple-A Sugar Land, touching 98.6 mph. He is expected to rejoin Houston’s rotation during next week’s Tigers series at Daikin Park.
Houston is off Thursday before opening a three-game series in Kansas City on Friday.
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