Houston Astros’ Yordan Alvarez (44) claps after hitting a go-ahead RBI single against the Los Angeles Angels during the ninth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Strazzante)
Scott Strazzante/Associated Press
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Yordan Alvarez poses a conundrum to every opposing manager. Whether to pitch to the Houston Astros slugger in pivotal situations is always a choice. Many managers hold up four fingers and send him to first base.
Monday, Angels manager Kurt Suzuki did so with his team holding a one-run lead and two runners on base. It moved the lead runner from second to third, and it proved costly when a pitch plunked Isaac Paredes and tied the game.
Houston Astros’ Christian Walker (8) celebrates with teammates in the dugout after his home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the fourth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Strazzante)
Scott Strazzante/AP Photo/Scott Strazzante
Houston Astros’ Yordan Alvarez (44) celebrates with teammates in the dugout after his home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Strazzante)
Scott Strazzante/AP Photo/Scott Strazzante
Houston Astros’ Yordan Alvarez (44) points skyward after his home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Strazzante)
Scott Strazzante/AP Photo/Scott Strazzante
Houston Astros’ Yordan Alvarez (44) watches his home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Strazzante)
Scott Strazzante/AP Photo/Scott Strazzante
Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout (27) scores on Jorge Soler’s double as Houston Astros’ Christian Vazquez (2) awaits the throw during the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Strazzante)
Scott Strazzante/AP Photo/Scott Strazzante
Houston Astros’ Yordan Alvarez (44) reacts to striking out against the Los Angeles Angels during the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Strazzante)
Scott Strazzante/AP Photo/Scott Strazzante
Houston Astros’ Nick Allen (20) doubles against the Los Angeles Angels during the ninth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Strazzante)
Scott Strazzante/AP Photo/Scott Strazzante
Houston Astros’ Yordan Alvarez (44) watches his go-ahead RBI single against the Los Angeles Angels during the ninth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Strazzante)
Scott Strazzante/AP Photo/Scott Strazzante
Houston Astros’ Nick Allen (20) scores on a go-ahead RBI single by Yordan Alvarez (44) against the Los Angeles Angels during the ninth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Strazzante)
Scott Strazzante/AP Photo/Scott Strazzante
Houston Astros’ Yordan Alvarez (44), Cam Smith (11) and Lucas Spence (28) celebrate a win over the Los Angeles Angels in a baseball game Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Strazzante)
Scott Strazzante/AP Photo/Scott Strazzante
“It’s tough,” said Astros manager Joe Espada “What’s the right thing to do? He has a good hitter behind him, so it’s a really tough decision. I’m glad that I don’t have to make that one.”
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Tuesday, Alvarez arrived again in a critical spot. This time, the game was tied in the ninth. Again, there were two runners on base. This time, the lead runner already stood on third. The Angels opted to have left-hander Mitch Farris face Alvarez.
“I wasn’t surprised,” Alvarez said, through an interpreter. “Yesterday it didn’t work for them.”
Houston
AB
R
H
BI
BB
SO
Avg.
Totals
36
3
9
3
3
17
Peña ss
5
0
1
0
0
4
.314
Alvarez dh-lf
4
1
2
2
1
1
.325
Paredes 3b
4
0
0
0
1
1
.255
Hader p
0
0
0
0
0
0
—
Walker 1b
4
1
2
1
0
2
.235
Altuve 2b
4
0
2
0
0
1
.232
Smith rf
4
0
0
0
0
2
.204
Trammell cf-lf
3
0
0
0
0
1
.237
c-Allen ph-3b
1
1
1
0
0
0
.258
Dezenzo lf
2
0
0
0
0
1
.225
a-Wade ph
1
0
0
0
0
1
.167
Spence cf
1
0
0
0
0
1
.152
Vázquez c
3
0
1
0
1
2
.216
Los Angeles
AB
R
H
BI
BB
SO
Avg.
Totals
34
2
7
2
1
11
Neto ss
5
1
1
0
0
2
.234
Trout cf
4
1
1
0
0
1
.244
Schanuel 1b
4
0
1
0
0
0
.279
Soler dh
3
0
2
1
1
0
.205
Grissom 3b
3
0
2
1
0
1
.264
1-Guzman pr-3b
0
0
0
0
0
0
.235
Meckler lf
3
0
0
0
0
2
.291
b-Siri ph-lf
1
0
0
0
0
1
.267
Adell rf
4
0
0
0
0
2
.241
Peraza 2b
3
0
0
0
0
2
.236
O’Hoppe c
4
0
0
0
0
0
.209
Houston
100
100
001_3
9
0
Los Angeles
001
010
000_2
7
0
a-struck out for Dezenzo in the 7th. b-struck out for Meckler in the 8th. c-doubled for Trammell in the 9th.
1-ran for Grissom in the 8th.
LOB_Houston 9, Los Angeles 8. 2B_Allen (4), Soler (15). HR_Alvarez (35), off Detmers; Walker (21), off Detmers. RBIs_Alvarez 2 (80), Walker (62), Grissom (44), Soler (48). SB_Neto (14).
Runners left in scoring position_Houston 3 (Trammell, Paredes 2); Los Angeles 3 (Grissom, Meckler 2). RISP_Houston 2 for 9; Los Angeles 2 for 6.
Runners moved up_Schanuel.
Houston
IP
H
R
ER
BB
SO
NP
ERA
Lambert
5
7
2
2
1
6
90
3.06
De Los Santos
1
0
0
0
0
2
16
4.32
Abreu
1
0
0
0
0
1
16
4.91
Okert, W, 4-1
1
0
0
0
0
2
18
2.05
Hader, S, 14-14
1
0
0
0
0
0
4
1.23
Los Angeles
IP
H
R
ER
BB
SO
NP
ERA
Detmers
5
4
2
2
1
9
84
4.03
Fermin
2-3
1
0
0
1
2
22
2.67
Suter
1-3
0
0
0
0
0
2
4.40
Yates
2-3
1
0
0
0
2
17
3.55
Natera
1
1-3
0
0
0
1
2
21
2.08
Farris, L, 0-2
1
3
1
1
0
2
18
3.65
Inherited runners-scored_Suter 2-0, Natera 1-0. HBP_Lambert (Peraza), Okert (Grissom).
ABS Challenge_Detmers (Ball-Confirmed); Adell (Strike-Overturned to Ball); Yates (Ball-Confirmed).
Umpires_Home, Nestor Ceja; First, Jacob Metz; Second, Willie Traynor; Third, Chris Guccione.
T_2:53. A_32,051 (45,517).
Alvarez made the decision hurt, lining a first-pitch fastball from Farris into center field for a go-ahead single. Josh Hader needed four pitches to notch three outs in the bottom of the ninth. And the Astros won 3-2 to secure a series victory at Angel Stadium.
Houston climbed to within one game of .500 for the first time since April 8. It remained two games out of first place in the AL West behind the Rangers and inched to within one game of a wild-card spot.
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“Tomorrow, we’re just going to go out there and play the baseball we know how to play,” Alvarez said. “We all know what the goal is and it’s try to make the playoffs.”
A tied game reached the ninth. Pinch-hitter Nick Allen pulled a leadoff double up the line. Lucas Spence squared twice to bunt and failed both attempts before striking out. Christian Vázquez’s bloop single just moved Allen to third base as a result.
Farris struck out Jeremy Peña, the shortstop’s fourth strikeout of the night, before pitching coach Mike Maddux visited the mound with Alvarez looming. Alvarez negated any strategy discussed, scorching his single at 107.1 mph off the bat.
“I didn’t want to get into a big swing, I just wanted to put the ball in play, I wanted to try to hit the ball up the middle or to the opposite side of the field,” Alvarez said. “But I did what I wanted to do up there and just put the ball in play.”
Both starters worked five innings and allowed two runs. Peter Lambert navigated seven hits in an outing that could have been messier. Reid Detmers surrendered solo home runs to Alvarez and Christian Walker but looked otherwise dominant.
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Bullpens held serve into the ninth. Suzuki played matchups, using three relievers for less than three outs each before Samy Natera Jr. recorded four. That included a lineout from Paredes that ended the seventh with two runners on base.
Enyel De Los Santos, Bryan Abreu and Steven Okert each worked scoreless innings for the Astros before Hader, pitching for the fourth time in five days, finished the win.
Houston Astros’ Peter Lambert (38) pitches against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning of a baseball game Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Strazzante)
Scott Strazzante/AP Photo/Scott Strazzante
Five from Peter Lambert
Lambert saw a streak of three quality starts end. But he has worked at least five innings while allowing two or fewer runs in nine of his past 11 starts. Lambert has a 3.06 ERA in 103 innings, just short of the number to qualify for rate stats. Only five qualified AL starters entered play Tuesday with a lower ERA.
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“He didn’t get as quick outs as he normally gets, but he always finds a way to pitch through things, man,” Espada said. “The way he’s performing, the opportunity he got, he’s making the best out of this.”
Though not his most efficient, Lambert managed traffic. He allowed nine baserunners, stranding seven. His changeup was key. Lambert threw one to strike out Vaughn Grissom and strand two runners in the first. Another induced an inning-ending groundout by Wade Meckler in the third with two on base.
“I wouldn’t say it’s always there, but tonight it was,” Lambert said of the changeup. “We leaned on it heavy.”
Meckler’s ground out followed an RBI single by Grissom, who pulled a cutter into left field. In the fifth, Mike Trout lined a cutter for a single. With two out, Jorge Soler looped a slider down the left-field line and Trout scored to forge a 2-2 tie. A single by Grissom moved Soler to third base.
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Lambert got Meckler to swing through a full-count changeup on his 90th pitch of the night, clapping his glove as he hopped off the mound. Lambert generated eight whiffs on 20 swings against the changeup and finished five of six strikeouts with it. Six of seven hits against him were singles.
“Just keeping the game at 2-2, tie ballgame, that was really important,” Lambert said. “So yeah, a little fired up after that one.”
Strikeouts, homers against Reid Detmers
Detmers struck out nine of 20 batters faced in five innings. The Astros whiffed on 17 of 45 swings against the left-hander, who struck out each starter in their lineup at least once except for Jose Altuve and Cam Smith. Detmers scattered four hits, but two of those cleared the fence.
Alvarez ambushed a first-pitch fastball that Detmers left over the inner half in the first inning, arcing it 421 feet into the seats in right-center field. It was the majors-leading 35th home run of the season for Alvarez, leaving him two short of his career high set in 2022.
Detmers retired nine of his next 10 hitters, five via strikeout. Walker interrupted his rhythm, driving a hanging slider into the Angels bullpen in the fourth inning. It was the 21st home run of the season for Walker and snapped a 14-game homerless streak, his longest of the season.
The Astros did not take an at-bat with a runner in scoring position against Detmers. He ended the fifth inning at 84 pitches. But the Angels turned to their bullpen in the sixth.
Matchup for Bryan Abreu
Bryan Abreu continues his reintroduction to leverage situations, a slow process since his abysmal April. The top of the Angels order, led by right-handed sluggers Zach Neto and Trout, came up in the seventh inning of a tied game. Abreu entered to face it.
Abreu struck out Neto, who chased a 96 mph fastball above the zone. A 97 mph fastball in a 2-2 count induced a flyball from Trout that right fielder Cam Smith ran down in foul territory. Abreu then got left-handed hitting Nolan Schanuel to roll over a slider for an inning-ending groundout.
The outing pared Abreu’s ERA to 4.91, the first time it has been under 5.00 all season. Abreu has a 2.31 ERA over his last 29 appearances since the start of May.
“Bullpen again, really solid,” Espada said. “And then some timely hitting. … We’re playing with a lot of intensity and focus, and I like how convicted we are in where we’re trying to get to.”