<\/p>\n
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)<\/p>\n
Scott Strazzante\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
ANAHEIM, Calif.\u00a0\u2014 Yordan Alvarez<\/a>\u00a0poses a conundrum to every opposing manager. Whether to pitch to the Houston Astros<\/a>\u00a0slugger in pivotal situations is always a choice. Many managers hold up four fingers and send him to first base.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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)<\/p>\n 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)<\/p>\n 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)<\/p>\n 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)<\/p>\n 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)<\/p>\n 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)<\/p>\n 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)<\/p>\n 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)<\/p>\n 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)<\/p>\n 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)<\/p>\n Scott Strazzante\/AP Photo\/Scott Strazzante<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s tough,\u201d said Astros manager Joe Espada \u201cWhat\u2019s the right thing to do? He has a good hitter behind him, so it\u2019s a really tough decision. I\u2019m glad that I don\u2019t have to make that one.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t surprised,\u201d Alvarez said, through an interpreter. \u201cYesterday it didn\u2019t work for them.\u201d<\/p>\n Houston Totals Pe\u00f1a ss Alvarez dh-lf Paredes 3b Hader p Walker 1b Altuve 2b Smith rf Trammell cf-lf c-Allen ph-3b Dezenzo lf a-Wade ph Spence cf V\u00e1zquez c Los Angeles Totals Neto ss Trout cf Schanuel 1b Soler dh Grissom 3b 1-Guzman pr-3b Meckler lf b-Siri ph-lf Adell rf Peraza 2b O’Hoppe c Houston Los Angeles a-struck out for Dezenzo in the 7th. b-struck out for Meckler in the 8th. c-doubled for Trammell in the 9th.<\/p>\n 1-ran for Grissom in the 8th.<\/p>\n 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).<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Runners moved up_Schanuel.<\/p>\n Houston Lambert De Los Santos Abreu Okert, W, 4-1 Hader, S, 14-14 Los Angeles Detmers Fermin Suter Yates Natera Farris, L, 0-2 Inherited runners-scored_Suter 2-0, Natera 1-0. HBP_Lambert (Peraza), Okert (Grissom).<\/p>\n ABS Challenge_Detmers (Ball-Confirmed); Adell (Strike-Overturned to Ball); Yates (Ball-Confirmed).<\/p>\n Umpires_Home, Nestor Ceja; First, Jacob Metz; Second, Willie Traynor; Third, Chris Guccione.<\/p>\n T_2:53. A_32,051 (45,517).<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cTomorrow, we\u2019re just going to go out there and play the baseball we know how to play,\u201d Alvarez said. \u201cWe all know what the goal is and it\u2019s try to make the playoffs.\u201d<\/p>\n 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 V\u00e1zquez\u2019s bloop single just moved Allen to third base as a result.<\/p>\n Farris struck out Jeremy Pe\u00f1a, the shortstop\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t 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,\u201d Alvarez said. \u201cBut I did what I wanted to do up there and just put the ball in play.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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)<\/p>\n Scott Strazzante\/AP Photo\/Scott Strazzante<\/p>\n Five from Peter Lambert<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cHe didn\u2019t get as quick outs as he normally gets, but he always finds a way to pitch through things, man,\u201d Espada said. \u201cThe way he\u2019s performing, the opportunity he got, he\u2019s making the best out of this.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t say it\u2019s always there, but tonight it was,\u201d Lambert said of the changeup. \u201cWe leaned on it heavy.\u201d<\/p>\n Meckler\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cJust keeping the game at 2-2, tie ballgame, that was really important,\u201d Lambert said. \u201cSo yeah, a little fired up after that one.\u201d<\/p>\n Strikeouts, homers against Reid\u00a0Detmers<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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. \u00a0<\/p>\n Matchup for Bryan Abreu<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\nAB
\nR
\nH
\nBI
\nBB
\nSO
\nAvg.<\/p>\n
\n36
\n3
\n9
\n3
\n3
\n17<\/p>\n
\n5
\n0
\n1
\n0
\n0
\n4
\n.314<\/p>\n
\n4
\n1
\n2
\n2
\n1
\n1
\n.325<\/p>\n
\n4
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n1
\n1
\n.255<\/p>\n
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n—<\/p>\n
\n4
\n1
\n2
\n1
\n0
\n2
\n.235<\/p>\n
\n4
\n0
\n2
\n0
\n0
\n1
\n.232<\/p>\n
\n4
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n2
\n.204<\/p>\n
\n3
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n1
\n.237<\/p>\n
\n1
\n1
\n1
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n.258<\/p>\n
\n2
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n1
\n.225<\/p>\n
\n1
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n1
\n.167<\/p>\n
\n1
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n1
\n.152<\/p>\n
\n3
\n0
\n1
\n0
\n1
\n2
\n.216<\/p>\n
\nAB
\nR
\nH
\nBI
\nBB
\nSO
\nAvg.<\/p>\n
\n34
\n2
\n7
\n2
\n1
\n11<\/p>\n
\n5
\n1
\n1
\n0
\n0
\n2
\n.234<\/p>\n
\n4
\n1
\n1
\n0
\n0
\n1
\n.244<\/p>\n
\n4
\n0
\n1
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n.279<\/p>\n
\n3
\n0
\n2
\n1
\n1
\n0
\n.205<\/p>\n
\n3
\n0
\n2
\n1
\n0
\n1
\n.264<\/p>\n
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n.235<\/p>\n
\n3
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n2
\n.291<\/p>\n
\n1
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n1
\n.267<\/p>\n
\n4
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n2
\n.241<\/p>\n
\n3
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n2
\n.236<\/p>\n
\n4
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n.209<\/p>\n
\n100
\n100
\n001_3
\n9
\n0<\/p>\n
\n001
\n010
\n000_2
\n7
\n0<\/p>\n
\nIP
\nH
\nR
\nER
\nBB
\nSO
\nNP
\nERA<\/p>\n
\n5
\n7
\n2
\n2
\n1
\n6
\n90
\n3.06<\/p>\n
\n1
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n2
\n16
\n4.32<\/p>\n
\n1
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n1
\n16
\n4.91<\/p>\n
\n1
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n2
\n18
\n2.05<\/p>\n
\n1
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n4
\n1.23<\/p>\n
\nIP
\nH
\nR
\nER
\nBB
\nSO
\nNP
\nERA<\/p>\n
\n5
\n4
\n2
\n2
\n1
\n9
\n84
\n4.03<\/p>\n
\n2-3
\n1
\n0
\n0
\n1
\n2
\n22
\n2.67<\/p>\n
\n1-3
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n2
\n4.40<\/p>\n
\n2-3
\n1
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n2
\n17
\n3.55<\/p>\n
\n1
\n1-3
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n1
\n2
\n21
\n2.08<\/p>\n
\n1
\n3
\n1
\n1
\n0
\n2
\n18
\n3.65<\/p>\n<\/p>\n