Houston Astros vs Los Angeles Angels Match Player Stats On May 05, 2017

The Sports Xchange
May 6, 2017

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- If ever there was a time to pack up the Rally Monkey and beat the traffic, this seemed to be it.

Down 6-2 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning, the Los Angeles Angels faced not only a four-run deficit but the hottest pitcher in the majors in Houston Astros left-hander Dallas Keuchel, who entered the game 5-0 with a 1.21 ERA.

The Angels were able to knock Keuchel out of the game and score four times to tie, but it only delayed what has been a common theme this season -- an Astros win.

Though Keuchel was not able to get his sixth victory, the Astros got their American League-best 20th of the season thanks to Carlos Correa's two-out RBI single in the 10th that snapped a 6-6 tie and gave Houston a 7-6 win.

Jose Altuve started the 10th-inning rally with a single off Bud Norris and a steal of second base, setting the stage for Correa.

Such heroics didn't seem necessary, though, before the Angels came to bat in the bottom of the ninth. But they rallied for four runs in the inning, getting six singles, including two when they were down to their last out.

Martin Maldonado, Yunel Escobar and Cameron Maybin led off the ninth with consecutive singles, bringing up Mike Trout. Astros manager A.J. Hinch replaced Keuchel with Ken Giles, who gave up an RBI single to Trout to make it 6-3.

Giles struck out Albert Pujols for the first out of the inning but then gave up an RBI groundout to pinch-hitter Luis Valbuena, an RBI infield single to Andrelton Simmons and an RBI single to pinch-hitter Kole Calhoun, tying the score at 6.

After Correa's RBI single in the 10th gave the Astros the lead, Chris Devenski pitched a 1-2-3 10th for his second save of the season.

Though it wasn't much, solo home runs by Pujols and Maldonado were enough to give the Angels and starting pitcher Jesse Chavez a 2-1 lead entering the seventh. Chavez had allowed only a solo homer to Josh Reddick to that point.

But to start the seventh, Correa singled and went to third on a double by Carlos Beltran. Chavez retired Yuli Gurriel on a popup for the first out of the inning, bringing up Brian McCann.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia decided to go with the lefty-lefty matchup, calling upon left-hander Jose Alvarez to face the left-handed hitting McCann. But McCann foiled the strategy, turning on a 76 mph breaking ball on the inside part of the plate and hitting the three-run homer for a 4-2 lead.

It was McCann's fifth homer of the season, putting him on pace for another 20-plus homer season. He has hit at least 20 home runs in nine consecutive seasons, and 10 of the last 11. The only season he didn't hit 20 during that stretch came in 2007, when he hit 18.

At 20-10, the Astros have matched their best start through 30 games in club history, matching the 1973 club. They have the best record in the American League and trail only the Washington Nationals (20-9) for the best record in the majors.

The increased their lead in the AL West over the second-place Angels to 5 1/2 games.

NOTES: Astros RHP Michael Feliz was placed on the family medical emergency list and replaced on the roster by RHP Dayan Diaz, who was called up from Triple-A Fresno. Astros manager A.J. Hinch declined to say what Feliz's emergency was, saying it was a private matter, but the club is hoping Feliz can return to the team after the weekend series against the Angels. ... Angels RHP Daniel Wright was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake, the third time he has been sent out. Wright pitched four innings of long relief Thursday in Seattle and was unavailable for Friday's game, so the club called up RHP Keynan Middleton from Salt Lake. ... Angels RF Kole Calhoun was not in the starting lineup, getting a seat because the Astros were throwing LHP Dallas Keuchel. The left-handed-hitting Calhoun is batting .129 (4-for-31) against lefties. ... Astros INF/OF Marwin Gonzalez went 1-for-3 with a walk, ending his streak of hitting a home run in four consecutive games and five consecutive starts. ... Angels CF Mike Trout's ninth-inning single extended his hitting streak to a career-best 17 games.