Ohtani Homers, But Meyers Hits First 2 As Astros Rip Angels
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rookie outfielder Jake Meyers hit the first two home runs of his career, including a grand slam, and the Houston Astros shook off Shohei Ohtani's major league-leading 39th homer Saturday night in an 8-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.
Luis Garcia recovered from a wobbly start to pitch six strong innings for Houston. Meyers, playing in his seventh career game and making his second start, was in right field after Kyle
Tucker was placed on the injured list for health and safety protocols.
The Astros' offense did not skip a beat as Meyers matched Tucker's grand slam in Friday's 4-1 victory at Angel Stadium and added a solo shot for good measure.
Yordan Alvarez had three hits and two RBIs as the Astros scored three or more runs in their 22nd consecutive game to set a club record. It is the longest three-run streak in the majors this season.
After Ohtani's first-inning homer gave the Angels a 1-0 lead, David Fletcher singled, stole second base and scored on Jared Walsh's single as Los Angeles led 2-0 after its first three batters.
Garcia (9-6) settled down from there to boost his AL Rookie of the Year credentials, giving up two runs on six hits with three walks and five strikeouts. It was the third time in his last five starts he has permitted two runs or less.
The Astros pushed in front with three runs in the third inning. Meyers hit his one-out homer on a line to right-center field. Jose Altuve doubled and Michael Brantley singled to put two aboard before Altuve scored on Carlos Correa's sacrifice fly to tie it 2-all.
Alvarez followed with an RBI double to give Houston a lead it did not relinquish.
Alvarez made it 4-2 in the fifth inning with an RBI double down the right-field line to score Brantley from first base.
Meyers' grand slam came on an 0-1 fastball from Junior Guerra and reached the elevated seats in right field to put Houston up 8-2. The last Astros player to hit his first two career home
runs in the same game was Lance Berkman in 1999.
The victory was the Astros' fourth in a row, their longest winning streak of the second half, in a run that has come after they lost six of eight.
After six games of a seven-game homestand against two of the best offenses in baseball, the Angels are 2-4 against the Toronto Blue Jays and Astros, while being outscored 32-17.
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