Houston Astros vs Los Angeles Angels Match Player Stats On May 07, 2017

The Sports Xchange
May 7, 2017

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Houston Astros won a battle of the bombs at Angel Stadium on Sunday.

Jose Altuve hit a three-run shot in a four-run third inning, and Evan Gattis went deep to start the seventh during Houston's 5-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels.

The Astros won two of three games against the Angels for their eighth series win this season. The Angels lost for the fourth time in five games.

Los Angeles' Yunel Escobar took Mike Fiers deep twice, to open the first inning and again in the fifth.

Fiers (1-1) has allowed an AL-high 14 homers this season in 30-plus innings, but he worked around Escobar's homers and four walks to leave with the lead after five innings. He gave up three runs on four hits while striking out one.

Angels starter Matt Shoemaker (1-2) pitched six-plus innings, his second-longest outing of the season, but two of the five hits he allowed were home runs accounting for four runs. He yielded five runs, walked three and struck out four.

The Astros' bullpen was nearly flawless in four innings. James Hoyt allowed a two-out triple to Ben Revere but stranded him by striking out Martin Maldonado. Will Harris gave up a hit in two innings, and closer Ken Giles pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his eighth save.

The Houston bullpen has nine wins and 11 saves this season.

Gattis' home run to lead off seventh made it 5-3. The Angels left three runners in scoring position during the game.

The Angels were thrilled with the way they started the game. Shoemaker picked off Altuve to end the top of the first, and Escobar started the bottom of the inning with a booming home run to center off Fiers.

The Angels pushed another run across in the second to take a 2-0 lead. Cameron Maybin walked, stole second and went to third on Gattis' throwing error, and scored on Maldonado's two-out single.

But the Astros unloaded on Shoemaker for four runs in the third. Alex Bregman doubled to left and Shoemaker walked George Springer with two outs. Josh Reddick singled off the right field wall to score Bregman, and Altuve hit Shoemaker's next pitch well up into the grandstand in left field for a three-run homer and a 4-2 Astros lead.

Escobar went deep on Fiers again in the fifth, this time to right center, to cut the Astros' lead to 4-2. Kole Calhoun doubled and Albert Pujols walked to extend the rally before Luis Valbuena grounded out.

NOTES: Angels CF Mike Trout took a second day off with tightness in his left hamstring. He has missed three of the last four games. Trout said he expects to play Monday when the Angels visit Oakland. ... Astros 2B Jose Altuve extended his hitting streak at Angel Stadium to 17 games dating to June 2015. ... Astros 3B Alex Bregman extended his hitting streak to nine games, and he has a hit in 15 of his last 16. ... 2B Danny Espinosa returned to the Angels' lineup and extended his slump to 0-for-27. He went 0-for-2 with a walk.