Astros mash six homers on way to 13-6 victory over Angels
While Thursday night marked the official beginning of Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena's Major League Baseball career, Friday night will likely be the one he remembers for the better, as the 24-year-old collected his first three hits and a home run in the 13-6 rout of the Los Angeles Angels.
He notched his first hit in the top of the second inning, but the highlight of his performance came while Pena was up to bat in the seventh - as Apple TV reporters were interviewing his parents on live television - when he crushed a 420+ homer to deep left field.
The moment sent his parents into a frenzy, who told Apple TV's Heidi Watney that they were "very, very happy."
That homer also began an onslaught of runs from Houston in the seventh inning, who scored eight runs on the back of eight hits, two of which were long balls.
With rookie Reid Detmers on the mound for the Halos, things started off well enough, despite allowing a lead-off home run to the Astros Jose Altuve, but a high pitch count sent him out after just four innings. He finished the contest allowing just four hits and two runs, striking out three and walking two.
The Angels answered Altuve's dinger with their own pair of runs that scored on a single from Jared Walsh, and a passed ball by Astros catcher Martin Maldonado, which scored Anthony Rendon from third to put the Halos up 2-1. Their rally was cut short two batters later despite a single off the bat of Brandon Marsh, when left fielder Michael Brantley threw a laser to home plate to nab Jared Walsh before he could score the Halos third run of the game.
But they wouldn't score again until the eighth inning, leaving the vast majority of the offensive production to the Astros who tallied 14 hits over the course of the matchup.
Outside of the Altuve and Pena homers, Aledmys Diaz, Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman all added on their own four-baggers. Tucker added another homer in the top of the ninth, a solo shot for his second of the game. Bregman also homered in last night's Astros victory on Opening Day.
Houston starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi also went four innings, allowing two runs and striking out two.
The Angels climbed back a little in the bottom of the seventh, scoring three runs to make it 12-5, thanks largely to an RBI double off the bat of Jose Rojas and an RBI single from Tyler Wade.
They added one more in the bottom of the ninth when Jared Walsh tallied his second RBI of the night on a single to centerfield, scoring Jack Mayfield from second.
But, it was too little too late as they fell to 0-2 to start the young season.
Shohei Ohtani notched his first hit of the season in the first inning, a soft blooper into centerfield.
Every Angels pitcher allowed multiple runs in the contest, sending the bullpen ERA skyrocketing. Oliver Ortega (9.00 ERA), who was saddled with the loss after allowing the Diaz home run in the fourth inning allowed two, Mike Mayers (INF ERA) failed to get an out, allowing three runs on two hits, Jimmy Herget (108.00 ERA) allowed four runs on four hits and Jaime Barria (6.75 ERA) allowed two runs on three hits.
The Astros got a full performance from centerfielder Jose Siri, who robbed Brandon Marsh of a hit in the fifth inning on a stunning diving catch just minutes before singling, stealing second, advancing to third on a fly ball from Maldonado and scoring while displaying blazing speed - cover the 90 feet in what seemed like no time at all, advancing as soon as Anthony Rendon released a throw to first after fielding an Altuve grounder.
According to MLB Statcast, Siri was averaging 31.2 feet per second on the sprint home.
The two teams will continue their series Saturday afternoon when the newly-acquired Noah Syndergaard makes his Angels debut against future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander at 6:07 p.m.
