Yusei Kikuchi pitched well again, allowing only three hits and no runs over seven innings, Yordan Alvarez hit a home run and had two RBIs, and the Houston Astros earned their 5,000th career win on Friday night.
For the first-place Astros, Alex Bregman hit a two-run home run early on, and Alvarez added the 33rd run in the ninth inning. After three straight losses, the Astros won two straight games to open their six-game Southern California tour.
Mickey Moniak hit a home run for the Angels, but the team has lost five of six games.
Kikuchi (9-9) overcame a sluggish start to strike out six and help the Astros remain unbeaten since being traded to Houston by Toronto. Kikuchi is 5-0 with the Astros and 8-0 with Houston in his first games on the mound.
Josh Hader pitched nine innings to earn his 30th save, helping the Astros become the 18th major league team to reach 5,000 wins.
Rookie Samuel Aldeguelli (1-2) struggled to complete three innings in his third major league start for the Angels, giving up four runs on six hits and five walks and recording just six outs.
Houston scored two runs in the second inning on two singles, followed by two walks and a sacrifice fly by Alvarez.
The Astros then got three hits on Aldeguelli’s first three pitches in the third inning: Kyle Tucker singled, Bregman hit his 23rd home run and Jeremy Peña doubled.
Kikuchi walked consecutive batters in the top of the third, and the Angels scored on a grounder by Zach Neto and a single by Nolan Chanuel.
Moniak’s solo homer to right field in the fourth inning was his second career home run against a left-handed pitcher and the former No. 1 overall pick’s 14th of the season, tying his career high.
Alvarez’s home run was a liner that went right through Moniak’s glove as the center fielder leapt toward the wall and made a spectacular catch.
Hader recorded 30 saves for the fourth consecutive season and the fifth time in his career.
Injury Update
Astros: Infielder Jose Altuve, returning after missing one game because of right side soreness, hit the first pitch of the game into left field but was easily out at second base while trying to extend it to second.
Angels: Second baseman Brandon Drury was sidelined after exiting Wednesday’s game in the fifth inning with hamstring tightness. … Right-hander Ben Joyce is still awaiting the results of an MRI exam Thursday. The 105 mph pitcher has not pitched since Sept. 6 because of shoulder soreness.
Next
Justin Verlander (3-6, 5.30 ERA) will take the mound for Houston after struggling in his past two September starts. The Angels will send All-Star Tyler Anderson (10-12, 3.50 ERA), whose lone win in nine starts against the Angels came in a win over the Astros earlier this year.
