ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Wade Meckler and Jo Adell keyed a five-run second inning with two-run doubles, and Walbert Ureña navigated heavy traffic through five shutout innings to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 10-1 victory over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night.
Houston put two runners on in the first, second and fifth and loaded the bases in the third, but Ureña (4-4) pitched out of each jam to lower his ERA to 2.44 on the season and 1.84 in eight starts since early May.
The 22-year-old right-hander gave up three hits, struck out seven and walked five in his 107-pitch effort, which included a 97 mph fastball to whiff Joey Loperfido with the bases loaded to end the third.
The Angels scored two unearned runs off starter Kai-Wei Teng (3-5) in the first, one when Nolan Schanuel was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and the other on Oswald Peraza’s RBI grounder.
Backup catcher Sebastián Rivero sparked the Angels’ second-inning rally with a one-out single. Zach Neto was hit by a pitch and Mike Trout snapped an 0-for-22 slump with a single to load the bases.
Meckler doubled to left-center for two runs and a 4-0 lead. Adell doubled to left to make it 6-0, and Peraza’s RBI groundout extended it to 7-0.
The Angels added three insurance runs in the eighth on Trey Mancini’s sacrifice fly and RBI groundouts by Peraza and Denzer Guzman. Los Angeles relievers Brent Suter, Drew Pomeranz and Kirby Yates covered the final four innings.
Schanuel, who has been slowed by a left ankle injury, exited after three innings because of left calf tightness.
Rivero, who also singled in the third and has seven hits in his last seven at-bats, was removed in the fifth because of a left wrist injury.
Up next
Astros RHP Peter Lambert (5-4, 3.55 ERA) will oppose Angels LHP Reid Detmers (2-5, 4.26) in Wednesday night’s series finale.
___
AP MLB:
