Astros Fall Short in Rout
The Houston Astros could not contain the Los Angeles Angels on Friday, Aug. 21, suffering an 18-3 defeat at Daikin Park. The visitors took control early and never relinquished the lead in a comprehensive performance that overwhelmed the home staff. Attendance at the venue was 20,934 as the Angels dismantled the Astros' pitching rotation.
Early Offense Sets Tone
The Angels struck first in the top of the first inning when Neto singled to right field, allowing Meckler to score. Houston tied the game at 1-1 when Altuve grounded into a fielder's choice, scoring Wade Jr. on a throwing error by third baseman Grissom. The Astros added a second run in the same frame when Alvarez scored on a wild pitch by Rodriguez. However, the Angels regained the lead in the second inning. Grissom singled to center to score Ballesteros, followed by a sacrifice bunt from Heineman that brought in Grissom. Frazier then grounded into a fielder's choice to score Lowe on an error, extending the Angels' lead to 4-2.
Mid-Innings Surge
The visitors expanded their advantage significantly in the fourth inning. Frazier doubled to center to score Lowe, and Neto singled to left to bring in Frazier. The Angels added two more runs when Ballesteros singled, scoring Meckler and Trout. Grissom then doubled to left, bringing in Ballesteros and Neto to make it 10-2. In the fifth, Schanuel grounded into a fielder's choice to score Heineman. The game's turning point came when Neto homered to center, a 428-foot shot that drove in Frazier and Schanuel, pushing the lead to 14-2. Neto continued his dominance in the seventh with a double to center that scored Trout and Siri. Guzman finished the scoring in the ninth with a 363-foot home run to left field, bringing in Peraza. Smith hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Varsho for Houston's final run.
Pitching and Records
Grayson Rodriguez earned the win for Los Angeles, pitching seven innings of scoreless ball. He allowed five hits, walked two, and struck out six. Blake Weiman pitched two innings, allowing three hits and one earned run while striking out three. For Houston, Peter Lambert took the loss after three and two-thirds innings, allowing eight hits and nine earned runs. Bryan King pitched one and one-third innings, allowing five hits and five earned runs. Tatsuya Imai pitched three innings, allowing two hits and two earned runs. LaMonte Wade Jr. pitched one inning, allowing three hits and two earned runs. The Angels improved to 51-77, while the Astros fell to 64-64.
Sources
https://www.espn.com/mlb/game/_/gameId/401816605
