2 G, 2 HR, 2 W: Trout (3-for-4), Angels turn back clock

HOUSTON -- The Angels are 2-0 for the first time since 2007, and nobody on the club is off to a hotter start than superstar Mike Trout.

After going 1-for-2 with a homer, three walks and a stolen base in a 3-0 win on Opening Day, Trout went 3-for-4 with a solo blast and a walk to lift the Angels to a 6-2 victory over the Astros on Friday night at Daikin Park. Trout, a three-time AL MVP and 11-time All-Star became just the fifth player in franchise history to homer in the first two games of a season, joining Chili Davis (1996), Tim Salmon (’95), Brian Downing (’82) and Joe Rudi (’80). And he helped the Angels win their first two games of the season on the road for the first time since 2004 at Seattle.

Trout, who made his Angels debut in 2011, has never been 2-0 in his career and said while it’s extremely early in the season, it’s still a good feeling to start off the year strong.

“I saw that,” Trout said. “It’s a good start to the year. The last two games have been great team wins from everybody. Everybody's contributing. Pitching staff is making pitches, and then timely hitting.”

With his performance, Trout became the only the second player in AL/NL history to homer and reach base safely at least four times in the first two games of a season since Amos Otis did it in 1977 with the Royals.

“He’s been great,” said manager Kurt Suzuki. “Just watching him at the plate, he’s comfortable and confident. He’s in a good place right now.”

Trout dropped in a bloop single in his first at-bat against right-hander Mike Burrows, which allowed Zach Neto to get to third after a double and score the game’s first run on a double-play groundout from Nolan Schanuel.

Trout added a second hit to lead off the third, reaching on a hard-hit grounder that hit off shortstop Jeremy Peña’s glove and went into left field. He showed off his speed on the way to first, reaching a sprint speed of 29.3 feet per second, just short of the 30 feet per second that’s considered elite by Statcast.

“It feels good,” Trout said. “I’m just staying on top of everything. But I feel a lot better.”

It was another sign that Trout is running better than at any point since he first sustained a torn meniscus in his left knee in April 2024. He reached 30 feet per second in Spring Training. That’s a mark he never reached last season after he sustained a bone bruise in April on his surgically repaired left knee.

In the fifth, Trout turned on an 0-1 sinker from Burrows and connected a solo blast to left field. It left the bat at 109.7 mph, as he crushed it a projected 403 feet. He also hit a solo homer to left off reliever AJ Blubaugh on Thursday for his fifth career Opening Day blast.

Trout, 34, has credited hitting coaches Brady Anderson, Derek Florko and John Mabry for helping him recapture his old swing. He also finished last year on a hot streak and believed that he finally got his mechanics back on track after an up-and-down year that saw him slash an uncharacteristic .232/.359/.439 with 26 homers and 64 RBIs in 130 games. He also feels more comfortable returning to center field after moving to right last year, before ultimately serving as designated hitter for the rest of the season after the bone bruise suffered in April.

“Like I’ve said before, me and the hitting coaches talk about it, and it’s just keeping that routine going,” Trout said. “I feel really good out there.”

Trout, though, wasn’t the only Angels player to go deep, as Josh Lowe smacked a pivotal three-run blast in the second inning and Neto added a solo blast in the eighth. Yoán Moncada reached on a walk before Jo Adell singled on a blooper to set up Lowe’s first homer with his new club.

It’s been a difficult month for Lowe, who lost his mother, Wendy, to brain cancer, but said he’s been able to stay strong because of his faith.

“I’ve been through some things here in the last month that haven't been necessarily fun between injury and my mom passing, but I just go out each day like it's my last and play as hard as I can,” Lowe said. “It was a good day today.”