Trout homers, Angels rally in 8th to hand Astros first loss

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Mike Trout hit his first home run of the season and Shohei Ohtani came off the bench to score the go-ahead run during an eighth-inning rally that sent the Los Angeles Angels past the Houston Astros 7-6 on Monday night.

Los Angeles scored four times in the eighth to hand Houston its first loss of the year following a four-game sweep at rival Oakland. Trout's solo shot in the fourth began the comeback from a 4-0 deficit.

The Angels are 4-1 for only the second time in 30 years, and first since 2007.

Ohtani, out of the starting lineup after pitching 4 2/3 innings Sunday night and getting wiped out while covering home plate, entered as a pinch-hitter after Albert Pujols and José Iglesias opened the eighth with singles. Ohtani was hit by a pitch from Joe Smith (0-1) and exchanged glances with the Houston reliever as he made his way to first base.

Blake Taylor gave up a single by Dexter Fowler that scored Pujols. Iglesias tied it at 5 when he scored on David Fletcher's fielder's choice. First baseman Yuri Gurriel made a diving stop on a sharp grounder by Jared Walsh but his throw home was wide, allowing Ohtani to score and put the Angels on top for the first time all night.

Fletcher came home on Anthony Rendon's sacrifice fly, making it 7-5. The extra run ended up being needed when Kyle Tucker homered in the ninth off Mike Mayers, who got his first save.

Tony Watson (1-0) was the winner.

Houston jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first on RBI singles by Alex Bregman and Carlos Correa. Aledmys Díaz struck out swinging on what should have been the third out, but went to first on a wild pitch as Yordan Alvarez scored from third.

The Astros chased José Quintana after Jose Altuve's one-out single in the fourth.

Houston starter Luis Garcia couldn't make...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Trout-homers-Angels-rally-in-8th-to-hand-Astros-16079317.php