HOUSTON (AP) — Rookie pinch-hitter Robel Garcia’s RBI single in Houston’s three-run 10th inning lifted the Astros to a 5-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night.
“You just get in there with a mindset of hitting the ball and that’s what I did," Garcia said through a translator.
The Angels scored two runs in the top of the 10th on RBI singles by David Fletcher and Albert Pujols off Ryan Pressly (2-0) to take a 4-2 lead.
Kyle Tucker started the bottom half on second base and went to third on a fly ball by Aledmys Díaz. Myles Straw singled off Raisel Iglesias (1-2) to cut it to 4-3. Jason Castro then hit a ground-rule double into the right-field corner to send Straw to third. The play was reviewed to see if it was a foul ball, but the call was upheld.
Carlos Correa’s sacrifice fly scored the speedy Straw to tie it 4-all. Garcia then sent a line drive to center field for his second hit and first RBI this season, setting off a wild celebration.
“To keep grinding all night and finally push it across at the end is a game that boosts morale and gets everyone fired up," Castro said.
with a two-run homer in the seventh to help the Astros to their second straight win after losing their previous three games.
“It was looking bleak for a while until Yuli tied it," manager Dusty Baker said. “That was some finish."
The Astros had runners at first and second with two outs in the ninth, but Tony Watson struck out Tucker to send it to the 10th.
Scott Schebler had two hits filling in for Mike Trout, who was scratched with a bruised left elbow after being hit by a pitch Thursday night as the Angels lost for the fourth time in five games.
Schebler hit a leadoff double in the fifth and advanced to third on a one-out single by Fletcher, who had three hits. Shohei Ohtani then smacked a double over the head of Gurriel at first base to score Schebler and make it 1-0. There were two outs when Jared Walsh’s run-scoring single pushed the lead to 2-0.
The Astros had managed just one hit off Andrew Heaney when Yordan Alvarez doubled with one out in the seventh inning to chase him. Aaron Slegers took over and Gurriel launched a homer to left field to tie it at 2.
Houston starter Zack Greinke allowed 10 hits but struck out six and made a nifty defensive play to pitch out of a lot of traffic.
“Greinke was Houdini tonight," Baker said. “That guy got out of trouble so many times."
Heaney yielded two hits and one run while striking out a season-high 10 in his longest outing of the season.
“Everything was working; he had great command of everything, great tempo," Angels manager Joe Maddon said. “He was really, really good. That’s what we think he can look like on a consistent basis. He was really impressive."
that's earned him six Gold Glove awards in the seventh inning. He jumped to catch a high one-hopper hit by Fletcher and made the throw to second to start a double play.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Angels: 3B Anthony Rendon is improving from a left groin injury, but probably won’t be activated until early next week. ... Trout is listed as day to day and Maddon said he expects the three-time MVP to return for Saturday’s game.
Astros: 2B Jose Altuve has been cleared to return from health and safety protocols that have kept him out since April 14, but it could still be several days before he’s activated. “I don’t know when we’ll realistically activate him,” Baker said.
QUESTIONING THE CALL
The Angels had runners on first and third with one out in the first when Walsh hit a grounder that Greinke fielded. Greinke hit Walsh in the back with the throw and Fletcher dashed home. But the umpires ruled Walsh out on runner's interference and made Fletcher return to third.
The Angels were outraged by the call and both Pujols and Maddon approached the umpires to argue about it.
“There’s no way that that can be construed as interference on the runner's part," Maddon said.
THEY SAID IT
Baker on intentionally walking Walsh in the 10th to bring up Pujols: “I wasn't crazy about bringing up Pujols in extras, but Pujols ain’t the same Pujols. ... I didn’t like it, but it’s what I felt the need to do with the hot Walsh."
UP NEXT
Right-hander Jake Odorizzi (0-2, 10.57 ERA) will try for his first win with the Astros when he opposes Griffin Canning (1-1, 5.68) as the series continues Saturday.
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