Jason Heyward, Astros beat Angels for fourth straight W
Jason Heyward went 3-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs to help the Houston Astros sweep the Los Angeles Angels with a 6-4 win on Sunday in Anaheim, Calif.
Houston starting pitcher Ronel Blanco (11-6) held Los Angeles scoreless on four hits and struck out five over six innings.
The Astros (81-68) have won four straight, while the Angels (60-89) dropped their fifth in a row.
Los Angeles trailed 6-0 in the eighth before Taylor Ward got the Angels on the board with a solo home run in the bottom of the frame, mashing his 24th home run of the season 420 feet off Kaleb Ort to the center field seats.
The Angels narrowed the deficit further in the ninth. Reliever Caleb Ferguson walked Logan O’Hoppe to lead it off, then Mickey Moniak was hit by a pitch and Jordyn Adams hit a one-out single to load the bases.
Ferguson was then replaced by closer Josh Hader.
O’Hoppe scored on Gustavo Campero’s groundout to cut it to 6-2 and Charles Leblanc’s single drove in Moniak and Adams to pull the Angels within two. But Hader struck out Zach Neto for the save.
Angels starter Caden Dana (1-2), making his third start in the majors, was perfect through the first two innings before Heyward’s leadoff homer gave the Astros a 1-0 lead.
Dana struggled in the fourth inning, and the Astros capitalized.
Kyle Tucker drew a leadoff walk, Victor Caratini followed with a double and Jeremy Pena drove in Tucker with a single to double Houston’s lead. Then, with runners on the corners and nobody out, Heyward knocked a single that brought Caratini home to make it 3-0.
Pena, who went 2-for-4, pushed it to 4-0 when he scored on a passed ball by O’Hoppe with Jake Meyers at the plate. Mauricio Dubon singled to left field, scoring Heyward for a 5-0 advantage.
That ended the 20-year-old Dana’s outing, finishing with five runs allowed on five hits in 3 1/3 innings.
The Astros added another run in the eighth when Meyers drove in Pena with a single.
Eric Wagaman and Nolan Schanuel each went 2-for-4 for the Angels.
AN IMPRESSIVE SWEEP: ASTROS DOMINATE ANGELS The Houston Astros showcased their strengths this past weekend, completing a three-game sweep over the Los Angeles Angels, culminating in a satisfying 6-4 victory. This win not only solidified their position at the top of the American League West but also revealed the stark contrasts between the two teams’ recent performances.
As the Astros pushed their lead to 4.5 games above the Seattle Mariners, the Angels languished under their fifth straight loss, signaling significant challenges ahead. HEYWARD’S STRONG PERFORMANCE BOOSTS ASTROS Astros newcomer Jason Heyward proved he deserves his position in the lineup with an impressive 3-for-3 performance in the series finale. His contribution included a home run and two RBIs, showcasing what the 33-year-old veteran can bring to a team vying for a postseason berth. “It’s nice to have a job with a team competing to win and wanting to win a World Series,” said Heyward, underlining the excitement and commitment felt within the Astros’ organization.
