HOUSTON – Brian Goodwin drove in three runs as the Los Angeles Angels snapped a three-game losing streak with a 12-5 win over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night, splitting the doubleheader created by the approach of Hurricane Laura.
In the first game, rookie Cristian Javier (3-1) allowed three runs in 5 2/3 innings and the Astros used a five-run first to beat the Angels, 6-3.
Recommended Videos
Laura was expected to make landfall on the Gulf Coast either Wednesday night or Thursday morning. Wednesday’s game already has been postponed.
This was just the second twinbill in the history of Minute Maid Park, a stadium with a retractable roof that opened in 2000. The Astros played a doubleheader against the Mets on Sept. 2, 2017, following Hurricane Harvey, which caused severe flooding in the Houston area.
The Angels got to Houston starter Brandon Bielak (3-2) for four runs in the first. With the bases loaded, Goodwin hit a two-run single, and Andrelton Simmons scored from first on an error by Josh Reddick. Jo Adell followed with an RBI double.
Luis Rengifo led off the fourth with a solo home run, and Goodwin hit a sacrifice fly in the fifth to increase the lead to 6-0. Tommy La Stella and David Fletcher hit RBI singles in the sixth.
“I still want our guys to buy into and understand, just play the game and watch the scoreboard,” Los Angeles manager Joe Maddon said. “The scoreboard will always tell you everything you need to know and how you’re supposed to play in that moment. It’s constantly changing, the score per inning, the count, the outs, everything matters. And if we just learn to play the scoreboard and use that as our guide, we’ll be fine.”
Fletcher added an RBI single, Mike Trout scored on a wild pitch and Shohei Ohtani had a two-run double in the seventh. Every Angels hitter had at least one hit.
The Angels will go into an unexpected two-day break caused by the storm with a win.
“I don’t mind the regroup period,” Maddon said. “It’s going to help some arms, chill a little bit, it’s definitely going to help some legs on the position players. A lot of these guys have been going every day, they’ve been grinding it really hard. So, it’s okay to grab these two, it’s like a mini version of our All Star break right now.”
Houston cut the Angels lead to two with a four-run fifth. Kyle Tucker hit an RBI triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Reddick. Abraham Toro hit a solo home run, and Myles Straw capped the inning with an RBI single. Dustin Garneau had a solo home run in the seventh.
“It was a long day, long night,” Houston manager Dusty Baker said. “We hit some balls hard, extremely hard, but they were right at them balls. They got some hard hits, but they got a lot of hits that just found holes, so that second game was just their night.”
Julio Teheran allowed three runs on four hits with three strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings. Teheran has allowed at least three runs in each of his last four outings.
Felix Pena (2-0) gave up a run in an inning for the win.
Bielak allowed four runs on three hits and three walks in 2/3 of an inning. Bielak was starting after throwing 28 pitches on Aug. 22 against the Padres, allowing seven runs in 1 1/3 innings in that start.
“They were sitting on pitches,” Bielak said. “I was kind of nitpicking out there. I just wasn’t executing my plan. That’s what happens when I don’t do that.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Angels: RHP Jaime Barria was added as the 29th player for the doubleheader. Barria allowed one run over five innings in the first game of the twinbill. … The Angels optioned LHP Jose Suarez (0-2) to the alternate site and recalled RHP Luke Bard following the first game of the doubleheader. Suarez allowed five runs in one inning in the first game.
Astros: OF George Springer sat out the both games of the doubleheader with a bruised left elbow after getting hit by a pitch in the sixth inning of Monday’s game. … RHP Humberto Castellanos was added as the 29th player for the doubleheader.
SCHEDULE CHANGE
Wednesday’s postponement will be made up on Sept. 5 as part of a doubleheader at Angel Stadium in Anaheim. The Angels will be the home team for the first game of the twinbill, and the Astros will be the home team for the second game. Both games will be seven innings.
MADDON EJECTED
Maddon was ejected in the sixth for arguing balls and strikes. After Ohtani was called out looking, Maddon began yelling at home plate umpire Clint Vondrak from in front of the dugout, and Vondrak quickly tossed Maddon.
UP NEXT
The Angels are scheduled to start a four-game series against the Mariners on Friday in Anaheim.
The Astros are scheduled to begin a three-game series against the Athletics on Friday in Houston.