Houston Astros vs Los Angeles Angels Match Player Stats On Sep 14, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Sep 15, 2017

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Brad Peacock allowed one run and three hits in six innings, and this time the Houston Astros bullpen backed him up in a 5-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday night.

The result trimmed Houston's magic number to clinch the American League West to three. The Angels fell three games back of the Minnesota Twins in the chase for the second AL wild card with 16 games remaining.

Peacock (11-2) also allowed one run and three hits in six innings in Anaheim on Aug. 26 and left with a 5-1 lead, but the Angels scored two runs in the seventh and four in the eighth to win 7-6.

Peacock departed with a 2-1 lead Thursday, and relievers Francisco Liriano, Joe Musgrove, Ken Giles and Chris Devenski held Los Angeles to one run over the final three innings. Albert Pujols hit a solo home run off Devenski in the ninth that trimmed the deficit to three runs.

It was the 613th career home run for Pujols, moving him past Jim Thome for seventh all time.

Angels starter Ricky Nolasco (6-14) delivered his first quality start since Aug. 1, allowing two runs on four hits and a walk in six innings. Nolasco, who came in having allowed the third-most home runs in the majors (34), struck out one and recorded 13 outs through the air but kept the ball in the park.

Houston broke open a one-run game in the eighth when Marwin Gonzalez delivered a two-run double to make it 4-1.

The Astros took a 2-0 lead in the second inning.

Gonzalez singled with one out and Alex Bregman hit a 2-0 pitch into the left field corner to score the runner from first. Yuri Gurriel came up with two outs and delivered his second RBI of the series with a sharp single to left, scoring Bregman.

Peacock benefited from some good defense to escape a couple jams in the early innings.

For the third straight game, Angels second baseman Brandon Phillips started the first inning with a double, this time hitting a high pop fly that fell between first baseman Gurriel, right fielder Josh Reddick and second baseman Jose Altuve. The Angels eventually loaded the bases with two outs, but center fielder George Springer ran down Andrelton Simmons' sinking line drive to end the threat.

Martin Maldonado doubled just inside the third base bag with two outs in the second, and Phillips followed with a hard grounder in the same spot, but Bregman made a nice backhand and strong off-balance throw to end the inning.

Bregman came in leading AL third basemen in fielding percentage at .977, which would be the best fielding percentage by a Houston third baseman in franchise history.

Angels third baseman Luis Valbuena cut the deficit to 2-1 with a solo home run with two outs in the fourth.

Valbuena also homered on Wednesday night off Astros starter Mike Fiers, and his subsequent bat flip prompted Fiers to throw a pitch over Valbuena's head his next time up. Fiers admitted after the game he felt disrespected by Valbuena, and he was suspended five games by the league Thursday.

NOTES: Astros CF Jake Marisnick will undergo right thumb surgery Friday and miss six to eight weeks. Marisnick fractured his thumb on a headfirst slide into second in the third inning of a 9-1 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday. ... Angels RHP Keynan Middleton left with right ulnar nerve irritation after throwing four pitches in the seventh inning Thursday. Middleton, the first member of the organization's 2013 draft class to reach the big leagues, has a 4.47 ERA in 50 2/3 innings of relief this season. ... Angels 3B Luis Valbuena hit his team-leading 15th home run since the All-Star break.