Alex Bregman helps power Astros past Angels

Reuters

11:04 JST, September 12, 2022

Alex Bregman’s grand slam highlighted a five-run third inning and propelled the Houston Astros to a 12-4 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Angels on Sunday afternoon.

Bregman’s blast was one of five homers by the Astros, who also got a three-run home run from Trey Mancini, a two-run homer from Kyle Tucker and solo homers from Mauricio Dubon and Yordan Alvarez.

Jose Altuve chipped in with three hits for Houston (90-50), which won its 90th game for the fifth-consecutive full season, minus the shorter COVID-19 season of 2020.

Astros starter Luis Garcia (12-8) maneuvered his way through five innings to get the victory, giving up three runs on eight hits with four strikeouts and no walks.

Garcia found early trouble, as the Angels’ Mickey Moniak, starting in center field for Mike Trout, tripled to lead off the game. Shohei Ohtani followed with a two-run homer, his 34th of the season, for a 2-0 Angels lead.

Trout was given a day off rest, despite hitting a home run in six-consecutive games.

The Angels increased their lead to 3-0 in the second inning on a solo homer by shortstop Andrew Velazquez, his ninth of the season.

Angels starter Tucker Davidson (2-6) held the Astros scoreless through the first two innings but didn’t make it out of the third. Dubon led off the inning with a homer, before the Astros loaded the bases on an infield single by Altuve, a single by Jeremy Peña and a hit-by-pitch by Alvarez.

Davidson was lifted in favor of Mike Mayers, but Bregman hit Mayers’ second pitch over the fence in right-center for a grand slam and 5-3 Astros lead.

Mancini’s three-run homer off Mayers in the fifth made it 8-3. The Astros added a single run in the sixth before scoring three more in the eighth on homers by Alvarez and Tucker.