ANAHEIM -- Jose Altuve tagged up from third base on a popup to shallow center field in the 10th inning Monday night and scored the game-winning run, giving the Astros a 5-4 win over the Angels with a breathtaking finish at Angel Stadium.
With runners at first and third and one out, Jake Meyers hit a popup that Angels second baseman Nick Madrigal caught about 10 feet onto the outfield grass. Altuve, with nine-hole hitter Collin Price due up, sprinted from third and scored when Madrigal’s throw home – which beat Altuve by plenty – skipped past catcher Logan O'Hoppe.
Still, the Astros needed more late-inning heroics. Rookie Brice Matthews, who entered the game in left field in the sixth when LaMonte Wade Jr. injured his right hamstring, threw out a sliding Mike Trout at the plate trying to score from second on a single by Jose Siri. Astros reliever Bryan Abreu locked down the final two outs.
Zach Neto’s solo homer in the seventh inning off Enyel De Los Santos put the Angels ahead 4-3, but the Astros got a clutch RBI single with one out in the ninth inning off the bat of Christian Walker, scoring Jeremy Peña from second base with the game-tying run.
Astros starter Spencer Arrighetti worked six innings and held the Angels to four hits and three runs, all of which came in the second inning. The Angels sent all nine batters to the plate in the second, getting an RBI single from Trey Mancini -- a member of the Astros’ 2022 World Series championship team -- and a two-run double by nine-hole hitter Logan O’Hoppe.
The Astros got a run back in the third on an RBI double by Walker, and RBI doubles by Wade and Cam Smith in the sixth tied the game. Wade, who joined the last Astros week, injured his right hamstring running to second base and was lifted from the game. Houston had placed infielder Nick Allen on the injured list prior to Monday’s game with a left hamstring strain sustained running the bases Sunday.