Angels Lose In Extra Innings To Astros, 5-4, As Yates Blows Another Save

The Los Angeles Angels authored another familiar chapter in their losing season last night as they lost to the Houston Astros, 5-4, in an 10-inning affair that featured yet another blown save by erstwhile closer Kirby Yates. 

The Angels got off to a 3-0 lead in this one behind an unlikelly contribution from Trey Mancini, who started his first major league game since 2023 and singled home a pair of runs in the second inning. Mancini had a three-hit night in a throwback performance, but the Angels were unable to hold the lead. 

The Astros were able to come back and tie it with a single run in the third and a pair in the sixth. All three runs were charged to starter Grayson Rodriguez, although one was unearned, via a pair of RBI doubles, the first from Christian Walker and the second from Lamonte Wade Jr. 

The Halos regained the lead in the seventh on a solo homer from Zach Neto, who continues to be on a power tear. That set up the Angels for what should have been a one-run win, but Yates gave it up in the ninth on a single by Walker that scored Jeremy Pena to tie the game and send it into extras. 

What happened after that was almost as predictable, as the Angels once again found a way to lose. Sam Aldegheri was called on to pitch the tenth, and the Astros bunted ghost runner Jose Altuve to third. The reliever was able to get a strikeout, and he then got a pop up that was fielded by backpedaling second baseman Nick Madrigal, and Altuve tagged up in an attempt to score. 

But catcher Logan O’Hoppe couldn’t field Madrigal’s throw, and he wound up being charged with an error as the winning run scored. 

The bottom of the tenth was just as frustrating. Mike Trout was the ghost runner, but he got thrown out at the plate after a leadoff single by Jose Siri. A pair of outs followed, with Astros reliever Josh Hader getting the win by pitching a scoreless ninth as Bryan Abreu picked him up with a save in the tenth. 

The only other bright spot in this one was Rodriguez, who bounced back from a bad start to go 5-1/3 innings and strike out six while giving up just two earned runs. Whether this represents hope or not is relative, as the Angels continue to redefine the concept of futility.