After winning the 1st series of their 10-game home stand, Houston looks to continue that trend in a four-game set against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim by the Pacific Ocean in North America.
62-71 (5th in the AL West) 11.0 Games Back, 9.5 Games Back of the Last AL Wild Card Road Record: 28-36 (Astros Home Record: 40-28)Record vs. AL West: 19-19 (Astros vs AL West: 16-17)Last 10: 3-7 [WLLWLLLWLL] (HOU: 5-5 [LLLWWWLLWW])2025 Record vs. Houston: 2-4 (1-2 @ HOU [April 11-13]; 1-2 @ LAA [June 20-22])Record since last meeting with Houston: 25-31 (Houston: 29-27)All-Time Record vs. Houston: 85-134Playoff Record: N/A
Angels Season since last meeting: To call this another lost season for the Angels would be repeating the same thing said about this team the past several years. The team came into the year with some hopes that in an uncertain AL West, they might be able to surprise. They signed former Astros starter Kikuchi, one-time Astros killer Jorge Soler and some other reinforcements, and hoped that a healthy Trout and rising Taylor Ward could help the team break out of its mediocre funk. They started the season 9-5, but since then…back to their regularly scheduled sub-.500 play. Mike Trout is actually playing enough games to qualify for a batting title, but perhaps the years and injuries are finally catching up to him, as he is not quite the multiple-MVP level player this year as before. He still leads the team in OBP and is second in OPS, but in metrics like BA, HRs and RBIs, he is way down on the roster. Anthony Rendon is a permanent fixture on the IL, making his contract perhaps the worst free agent signing this century. It is not like there isn’t talent on the squad, but the Angels always seem like a franchise stuck in neutral. Not bad enough to go full rebuild, but not good enough to make any postseason noise.
Offense: [NOTE: Stat leaders based eligibility for batting title and who is currently on the roster, unless otherwise noted]
HR: LF Taylor Ward (30)RBI: LF Taylor Ward (94)BA: SS Zach Neto (.270)OPS: SS Zach Neto (.817)
Pitching: [NOTE: Stat leaders based on eligibility for ERA title and who is currently on the roster, unless otherwise noted]
ERA: Yusei Kikuchi (3.68) [For non-ERA title eligible pitchers, reliever Brock Burke leads with a 2.70 ERA].Wins: Jose Soriano (9)Saves: Kenley Jansen (23)WHIP: Jose Soriano (1.36) [For non-ERA title eligible pitchers, closer Kenley Jensen leads with a 1.06 WHIP]
Projected Pitching Matchups (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Friday, Aug 29 @ 7:10 p.m. CDT: Tyler Anderson (2-8, 4.73 ERA) vs. Cristian Javier (1-1, 5.40 ERA)Saturday, Aug 30 @ 6:10 p.m. CDT: Kyle Hendricks (6-9, 5.04 ERA) vs. Spencer Arrighetti (1-5, 6.21 ERA) Sunday, Aug 31 @ 1:10 p.m. CDT: Jose Soriano (9-9, 3.85 ERA) vs. Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) Monday, Sept 1st @ 1:10 p.m. CDT: Yusei Kikuchi (6-9, 3.68 ERA) vs. TBD
Angels Field Position Starters (SUBJECT TO CHANGE) (BA/OBP/SLG)
C: Logan O’ Hoppe (.224/.264/.404)1B: Niko Kavadas (.143/.200/.143)2B: Christian Moore (.202/.296/.349)3B: Yoan Moncada (.229/.321/.457)SS: Zach Neto (.270/.326/.491)LF: Taylor Ward (.232/.319/.485)CF: Bryce Teodosio (.222/.275/.302)RF: Jo Adell (.235/.298/.486)DH: Mike Trout (.232 /.362/.429)
Angels Offense: They don’t get a lot of hits per se (29th in BA) nor get a lot of runners on base (27th in OBP), but they do maximize those hits that they do get (17th in runs, 13th in Slugging). Their main weapon this season is LF Taylor Ward, who has likely supplanted Trout as the squad’s top offensive weapon. Trout can still present a clear and present danger to pitchers, even if he is not quite at his MVP level. If things work out, Trout can hit his 400th HR this weekend (we would rather he not, but numbers are numbers). Soler wasn’t offering quite as much punch as promised before he went on IL, and the rest of the lineup varies between fair to middling, at best. They get practically no help from their base-running game, as they rate 27th in steals (for reference, the Astros rate 26th), but that can be a result of not getting on base to consider stealing bases.
Angels Pitching/Defense: Kikucki parlayed his half-season stint in Houston into a nice free agency contract with the Angels. So far, he is living up to that deal, garnering an All-Star nod and continuing his strong post-Toronto dealing, even if his win/loss record doesn’t quite reflect that. Soriano has come back from injury and offers some capability as a starter. However, the pitching staff as a whole is among the worst in the league (28th in ERA, WHIP and BAA). Another free agent pickup, Kyle Hendricks, offers some innings, but they aren’t near the quality of his prime. The bullpen is rated 17th, with a 3.74 ERA. Much of that comes from closer Kenley Jansen and high leverage reliever Brock Burke. One-time starting phenom Reid Detmers is in the bullpen to try to redefine his career, yielding varying levels of success. The Angels’ defense ranks 27th in runs saved and the squad and rank 23rd in errors, so a struggling pitching staff gets little to no help from its fielding defense.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS – AUGUST 25: Logan O’Hoppe #14 of the Los Angeles Angels is congratulated by teammates following a home run against the Texas Rangers during the ninth inning at Globe Life Field on August 25, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) Getty Images
Most Dangerous Player: C Logan O’Hoppe. Maybe not who you were expecting, but O’Hoppe has had some quality success against Houston. For his career, he is batting .364 with 6 HRs and 13 RBIs in 17 games. In his last two games in Houston back in June, he went 3 for 8 with 3 HRs and 6 RBIs. He has been struggling this month, slashing .127/.158/.200 (much like the Angels overall), but that can make him even more dangerous, as sometimes struggling players on struggling teams can find new life against Houston. I suppose we should mention Taylor Ward and Mike Trout, as they are more than capable of making life miserable for an inconsistent pitching staff.
Injuries: Aside from 3B Anthony Rendon [officially, hip, 60-Day IL, Projected Return: they say 2025, maybe, but more than likely, he’ll return to the IL for 2026 and 2027, ‘cause baseball, and the Angels]…anyway, the rest of the wounded:
IF/OF Chris Taylor (hand); 10-Day IL; Projected Return: Early SeptemberP Ben Joyce (shoulder); 60-Day IL; Projected Return: 2026P Hunter Strickland (shoulder); 60-Day IL; Projected Return: SeptemberP Carson Fulmer (elbow); 15-Day IL; Projected Return: late SeptemberP Victor Mederos (shoulder); 15-Day IL; Projected Return: TBDOF/DH Jorge Soler (back); 10-Day IL; Projected Return: August/September1B Nolan Schanuel (wrist); 10-Day IL; Projected Return: Early SeptemberOF Gustavo Campero (ankle); 10-Day IL; Projected Return: Late September
Intangibles: It probably didn’t help the squad that they lost manager Ron Washington for the year due to quadruple-bypass heart surgery. Then again, Washington wasn’t likely to lead this team to unprecedented glory ala Bruce Bochy with the Rangers in 2023. The deadline didn’t see the Angels make moves to either help make a slim-chance playoff push, nor move towards what most would consider a long-overdue rebuild/reboot of the franchise. There haven’t been reports of blowups or disgruntled players, but perhaps the players are numb to their likely 10th straight losing season. The squad is stumbling into September, losing 7 of their last 8 series, including a brutal series loss at Arlington. At least they can claim bragging rights for LA, as they swept the Dodgers in their 2025 matchups.
Series Outlook: Again, there are what the numbers say, and what reality provides. The last time Houston hosted a scuffing AL West team on the road to nowhere, the As got a devastating sweep at Daikin. Houston is trying to manage a pitching staff ravaged by injuries and manned by a lot of guys trying to come back from devastating injuries. The offense can be so hit and miss (or, rather, hit (6th in BA) and miss home plate (21th in runs)). Perhaps the return of Alvarez can spark the offense and maybe we finally get to see Luis Garcia for the first time since 2022? Usually, the Angels provide a good salve for Houston, but as this season proves, nothing is for certain. The Astros could take all 4 games by a combined 20 runs, or they could lose all 4, and no one would be shocked one way or the other. Might help if Moreno sold the team, but until he does, hope seems to be all the Halos have. At least there should be some good Labor Day weekend crowds.
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