Sept. 15 – The Houston Astros finally got to see Justin Verlander and Kyle Tucker on Saturday after not seeing them all summer.
On Sunday afternoon, the Astros only needed Ronel Blanco, whom they’ve used all season.
Blanco will take the mound as the Astros sweep the American League West with the Los Angeles Angels in the final game of a three-game series in Anaheim, California.
Blanco (10-6, 2.99 ERA) will face right-hander Kaden Dana (1-1, 9.00).
The Astros retained the division lead on Saturday night as Verlander pitched five innings to get the win and Tucker hit a pinch-hit homer in a 5–3 victory.
The Astros (80-68) are 4 1/2 games ahead of the Seattle Mariners, who beat the Texas Rangers 5-4 on Saturday night.
Verlander allowed two runs in five innings for his first win since the May 24 game. Since returning to the Astros on Aug. 21, he is 0-4 with a 9.68 ERA in four starts through Friday.
Tucker was playing back-and-forth for the first time since June 1, two days after suffering a foul on his left calf. He was eventually diagnosed with a minor fracture and didn’t return until September 6.
He had only one extra-base hit in 25 games, against Angels reliever Guillermo Zuniga in the ninth inning.
“That was probably the best shot I’ve taken since I’ve been back,” Tucker told Space City Home Network. “It’s good to get that feeling back and be in the game and contribute and help us win.”
The rebuilding Angels (60-88) are trying to avoid finishing last in the AL West for the first time since 1999, but they have lost four straight games and six of seven.
He hopes youngsters like Dana, 20, can learn from veterans like Tyler Anderson — even when things get tough. The left-hander’s late-season struggles continued Saturday when he lost the game after allowing four runs in five innings.
Anderson played in the All-Star Game for the Angels but went 2-5 with a 4.97 ERA in 10 second-half starts. He pitched a total of 172 1/3 innings, just 6 1/3 short of his career high with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2022 as a National League All-Star.
“That’s not the assistant coach we’re looking for, and that’s what happens when you get to this stage of the season,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “But with his mindset, you learn how to get through it. That’s one thing we want our kids to learn, how to get through it.”
Blanco hasn’t pitched since Sept. 7, when he threw two scoreless innings of relief in the Astros’ 11-5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 31-year-old has pitched 150 1/3 innings this season and 58 1/3 innings total over the past two seasons. His last start was Sept. 1, when he won three of five scoreless starts. He allowed two or fewer hits in 19 of 26 games.
Blanco is 1–0 with a 3.68 ERA in three career games (one start) against the Angels.
Dana suffered the loss in his second major league game on September 8, allowing five runs in an extra innings as the Angels lost to the Rangers, 7-4. He never pitched against the Astros again.
–Visual-level media
