Alvarez homers in first inning and hits RBI single in ninth to lead Astros to 3-2 win over Angels

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Yordan Alvarez homered and hit a go-ahead RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning to lift the Houston Astros to a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night.

Christian Walker added a solo homer while Houston relievers Enyel De Los Santos, Bryan Abreu, Steven Okert and Josh Hader combined for four hitless innings. Okert (4-1) threw a scoreless eighth to earn the win and Hader threw a four-pitch ninth for his 14th save.

The Astros won for the seventh time in eight games to remain two games behind Texas in the American League West. The last-place Angels have lost 17 of 22 games.

Nick Allen started the winning rally with a pinch-hit double off Angels left-hander Mitch Farris (0-2). Christian Vázquez flared a one-out single to shallow right, advancing Allen to third. After Jeremy Peña struck out, Alvarez lined a single to right-center.

Angels left-hander Red Detmers allowed two runs and four hits in five innings, striking out nine and walking none. Astros right-hander Peter Lambert gave up two runs and seven hits in five innings, striking out six and walking one.

Alvarez drove a first-pitch fastball from Detmers 427 feet to right for his major league-leading 35th homer in the first.

The Angels tied it in the third on Vaughn Grissom’s RBI single to left.

Walker’s 21st homer, a 411-foot shot to left, gave Houston a 2-1 lead in the fourth. But the Angels tied it 2-all in the fifth when Mike Trout singled and scored from first on Jorge Soler’s double down the left-field line.

Grissom singled to put runners on first and third, but Lambert struck out Wade Meckler to end the inning.

Up next

Astros RHP Hayden Wesneski will come off the 60-day injured list to oppose Angels RHP Grayson Rodriguez (3-3, 8.54 ERA) in Wednesday night’s series finale.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb