The Los Angeles Angels are off to a rare start in the 2026 season, winning their first two games after a 6-2 win versus the Houston Astros on Friday. This 2-0 start is the Angels’ best opening since 2007, ending a 19-year drought that spans the entirety of franchise legend Mike Trout‘s career. Since being drafted in 2009, the three-time MVP has weathered 10 consecutive losing seasons and no playoff appearances since 2014.
Through two games, Trout is 4-for-6 with two home runs and four walks across 10 plate appearances. He is batting .667 with an .800 on-base percentage, and his fifth-inning solo shot on Friday made it the first time in his 16-year MLB career that he has homered in each of his first two games of a season. He also swiped a base and hammered out three hits in the second matchup.
Meanwhile, Josh Lowe, acquired in a January 16 trade, went 2-for-4 with a double and a three-run home run that broke a 1-1 tie in the second inning. Zach Neto contributed a double and a ninth-inning homer, giving him two extra-base hits in the game.
On the pitching side, Yusei Kikuchi allowed two earned runs on eight hits over 4â…“ innings, striking out three and walking one while throwing 86 pitches. The bullpen has combined for 7â…” scoreless innings over the first two games. In Friday’s win, Chase Silseth, Ryan Zeferjahn, Sam Bachman, and Jordan Romano held Houston scoreless over the final 4â…” innings, with Zeferjahn retiring all six batters he faced and Bachman striking out three.
The Angels will look to carry their momentum into game three of the four-game set against the Astros on Saturday.
The Los Angeles Angels are off to a rare start in the 2026 season, winning their first two games after a 6-2 win versus the Houston Astros on Friday. This 2-0 start is the Angels’ best opening since 2007, ending a 19-year drought that spans the entirety of franchise legend Mike Trout’s career.