Sept. 20 – Yusei Kikuchi started strong and the Houston Astros inched closer to their seventh American League West title in eight seasons on Thursday.
The left-hander allowed one run and five hits over six innings in Houston’s 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels, reaching the Astros’ magic number of five.
The Astros look to take another step toward the Western Conference title when they visit Los Angeles in the second game of a four-game series Friday night.
While Kikuchi wasn’t factored into Thursday’s decision, the Astros went 9-0 with him after acquiring him from the Toronto Blue Jays at the trade deadline. While Kikuchi has been at the forefront of Houston’s recent roster moves, the contributions of Jason Heyward and Hector Neris, both of whom were released in August, are also notable.
Nellis, who was cut by the Chicago Cubs on Aug. 20, pitched a brilliant seventh inning and struck out three. Heyward, who was cut by the Los Angeles Dodgers four days later, stole a spectacular slide to left field to end the ninth inning. As the postseason draws closer, the Astros (83-70) continue to shape their lineup for another expansion.
“They were great on the baseball field, but for me, it was the same in the clubhouse,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “They bring a different energy. They have different personalities and they fit in really well with our guys. But it also allows me to make certain moves for certain guys in the game that I enjoy more than others (and) pinch-hitting gives me the power to do certain things.
He has embraced these roles and excelled in them.
Right-hander Justin Verlander (4-6, 5.20 ERA) is expected to start for the Astros on Friday.
Verlander allowed two runs on four hits and struck out two in five innings of Saturday’s 5-3 win over the Angels, his first outing since returning from a 54-game absence due to injury. The last time he allowed more than 15 runs was May 29 against Seattle; since his reinstatement he has allowed 14 runs in 22 2/3 innings.
Verlander has started in 33 career games against the Angels and is 17-11 with a 3.33 ERA. He faced them again this season, giving up four runs on seven hits in five innings, striking out three but not being involved in the decision in a 7-9 road loss on June 9.
Left-hander Tyler Anderson (10-13, 3.60 ERA) will start Friday for the Angels (62-91).
Anderson lost Saturday’s game against the Astros, giving up four runs on seven hits in five innings, striking out four and walking three. He is winless in his last four starts, going 0-2 with a 5.21 ERA.
Anderson has a 1-4 record with a 6.24 ERA in 10 starts against the Astros in his career, including a 1-2 record with a 4.26 ERA in 3 starts this season.
Angels left fielder Tyler Ward hit his 25th home run of the season in the top of the first inning. It was his fifth leadoff homer in the last 19 games, making Ward the first Angels player since Mike Trout in 2012 to hit five or more leadoff home runs in a season.
Ward has reached safety in 38 of the last 42 games, including 27 of the last 28 games.
“Maybe he’s coming back,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “Tyler’s a fighter. He fights all year long. In baseball, you play for six months. You go through ups and downs. He finally got back into shape in September. We’re looking for him.”
–Visual-level media
