Wilson's struggles vs. Astros continue

HOUSTON -- The way C.J. Wilson was pitching on Tuesday, Angels manager Mike Scioscia said, "It wasn't going to work anywhere."

Perhaps that's true, but this was Minute Maid Park, home of an Astros team that is once again tied with the Angels for first place in the American League West -- and Wilson just can't figure them out.

The Angels' veteran starter has an 8.20 ERA in his last eight starts against the Astros, after he gave up six runs in four innings in a 10-5 loss in the series opener. Wilson has given up 35 runs (34 earned) in 37 1/3 innings in that stretch, on 49 hits and 20 walks.

He carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning on April 18, but gave up seven runs in 3 1/3 innings on June 23 -- the last time the Angels gave up more than seven runs in a game. He gave up six runs, six hits, walked three batters and hit two others while recording 12 outs on Wednesday.

"The Astros team has nothing to do with my sinker or my slider or my changeup or anything like that," Wilson said. "In a vacuum, you have to evaluate yourself. If I'm two strikes on a guy, I know that Chris [Iannetta] is setting up right here. And if I can't hit his glove, that has nothing to do with hitters. It's my fault."

Wilson was spotted a 2-0 lead in the first, then left an 86-mph changeup up to Carlos Correa and surrendered up a solo homer to right field. He had a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the second, then served up a monster two-run homer to Chris Carter -- on a 90-mph fastball right down the middle. The Astros would tie it later in the inning when Jose Altuve's dribbler snuck past Erick Aybar.

Leading again, 5-4, in the fourth, the 34-year-old left-hander gave up a two-out, two-run single to Altuve, though the second run scored on a poorly executed rundown by first baseman C.J. Cron.

"As a pitcher, it's much more random than people understand," Wilson said of struggling against the Astros. "Today, my fastest fastball was 90 mph. I didn't have anything. It makes it that much easier for any other team that's playing. I could've lost to the Salt Lake City Bees, probably, the way I was throwing the ball."