A wild pitch in the 10th inning proved costly for the Los Angeles Angels, as Mauricio Dubón came home with the go-ahead run to give the Houston Astros a 3-2 win on Friday night at Angel Stadium.
Jeremy Peña and Isaac Paredes opened the game with back-to-back solo home runs for Houston, giving the Astros an early 2-0 edge. Los Angeles starter Yusei Kikuchi settled in after that, retiring 21 of the next 23 batters and finishing with nine strikeouts over seven strong innings without issuing a walk.
The Angels chipped away with a solo homer from Jo Adell in the fourth and rookie Christian Moore’s first career blast in the seventh to tie the game 2-2.
In the top of the 10th, Peña singled to move the automatic runner, Dubón, to third. One batter later, Hunter Strickland — flawless in his first 13 appearances with the Angels — threw a wild pitch behind Paredes, allowing Dubón to dash home with the eventual winning run.
Josh Hader (5-1) pitched a perfect ninth to win, while Bennett Sousa recorded the save with a clean 10th inning.
Tensions rose in the third inning when Astros starter Hunter Brown hit Angels shortstop Zach Neto with a 95-mph sinker. Both benches emptied, but cooler heads prevailed, and no ejections were issued.
Key Moment
Jake Meyers made a game-saving catch in the eighth inning, laying out in left-center to snare a line drive from Jo Adell with a runner on first. The highlight-reel grab preserved the 2-2 score.
Key Stat
Peña and Paredes became the first Astros duo since José Altuve and Peña in July 2022 to open a game with consecutive home runs.
Up Next
Houston sends left-hander Brandon Walter (0-0, 1.53 ERA) to the mound Saturday, while the Angels counter with right-hander José Soriano (4-5, 3.54 ERA).
