Pujols' 2 Homers Help Angels Beat Astros, 4-3
ANAHEIM (AP) — Albert Pujols homered twice and Erick Aybar scored the go-ahead run on a safety squeeze by Daniel Robertson in the eighth inning, leading the Angels to a 4-3 victory over the Houston Astros on Monday night.
The Angels (36-35) moved within 4 1/2 games of first-place Houston in the AL West. Texas is three games behind the Astros, who have dropped three of four after winning five straight.
Aybar began the winning rally with a leadoff single against Chad Qualls (1-4) and advanced on a wild pitch. One out later, Joe Thatcher walked pinch-hitter Matt Joyce while Aybar stole third.
In came Will Harris, and Robertson bunted up the first base line. Chris Carter charged the ball and made an errant, backhand flip past catcher Jason Castro as Aybar crossed the plate.
Robertson was credited with his second RBI in seven games since his recall from Triple-A.
Huston Street (3-2) struck out Evan Gattis to end the eighth and then pitched a perfect ninth.
Angels left-hander Hector Santiago allowed two hits over six innings, including rookie Domingo Santana's leadoff homer in the third, before handing a 3-1 lead to the bullpen.
Trevor Gott pitched a perfect seventh, but the Astros tied it in the eighth against Joe Smith on an RBI single by Castro and a run-scoring double by Jose Altuve.
Altuve, the All-Star second baseman, returned to the lineup and was 1 for 3 after missing the previous four games because of a right hamstring strain. In the third inning, he sent a towering fly to the short fence in the right-field corner, where Kole Calhoun reached over and easily took a home run away from him.
Astros lefty Brett Oberholtzer allowed two runs, four hits and four walks in his sixth start of a season that has been detoured twice by blisters on his index finger.
Pujols gave the Angels a 2-1 lead in the fifth, driving a 1-2 pitch into the rock pile just to the right of the center-field trees after a two-out walk to Mike Trout. It was the first homer allowed this season by Oberholtzer in 28 innings to that point.
Pujols hit another two-out homer in the seventh off righty Josh Fields, raising his season total to 23 and his career total to 543 -- five behind Mike Schmidt for 15th place.
The three-time NL MVP has 15 homers in his last 24 games. His 50th career multihomer game raised his career total against Houston to 48, breaking a tie with Hank Aaron for the most by any player against Astros pitching.
After striking out the side in the first inning on 16 pitches, Oberholtzer escaped a bases-loaded jam in the second.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Angels: An MRI on RHP Jered Weaver's left hip did not reveal any structural damage or tears, a day after he was put on the 15-day disabled list. "He won't pick up a ball for five days, and then we'll just try to see where he is and move forward from there," manager Mike Scioscia said. "I have a lot of confidence that we're going to see him get better, but right now there's no doubt about just trying to exhale a little bit and get him back where he needs to be."
UP NEXT
Astros: RHP Collin McHugh (7-3) is 14-3 with a 3.62 ERA over his last 24 starts after losing each of his previous six.
Angels: LHP C.J. Wilson (5-5) has allowed one run over 15 innings with 17 strikeouts in his last two starts -- a 1-0 home win against Oakland and a 7-1 decision at Arizona.
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