Historic home runs from Mike Trout and Albert Pujols early weren’t enough to best reigning AL Cy Young winner. The Halos got to Dallas Keuchel early, putting up a two-spot in the first thanks to the aforementioned dingers, but were then shut down the rest of the night. Like, completely shut down. The final 24 Angels to come to the plate were retired, their last baserunner coming with none out in the second inning.
Run Expectancy Rundown
[googleapps domain=”docs” dir=”spreadsheets/d/1W6jCSTU1me5bCGO0P87LZbjJrXqER-Cfid2rUSNajwc/pubchart” query=”oid=1976391661&format=interactive” width=”623″ height=”389″ /]Trout hit his 150th home run in the first, making him just the eighth player in MLB history to have 150 homers and 500 runs scored before his 25th birthday—all of the other seven finished with at least 500 home runs. Pujols followed with his 571st long ball, putting him just two shy of Harmen Killebrew for 11th all-time. Both were their 11th dingers of the year. Johnny Giavotella had the team’s only other hit on the night.
[googleapps domain=”docs” dir=”spreadsheets/d/1W6jCSTU1me5bCGO0P87LZbjJrXqER-Cfid2rUSNajwc/pubchart” query=”oid=1154832181&format=interactive” width=”620″ height=”341″ /]Jason Castro launched the two-run, tie-breaking home run in the sixth, but that moment isn’t possible without George Springer‘s big day at the plate. The outfielder notched a double and two singles off of Weaver in three at-bats against him, setting up both of the Astros’ earlier scoring opportunities.
Starting Pitcher Scores
[googleapps domain=”docs” dir=”spreadsheets/d/1W6jCSTU1me5bCGO0P87LZbjJrXqER-Cfid2rUSNajwc/pubchart” query=”oid=161400381&format=interactive” width=”584″ height=”293″ /]Weaver was again fairly solid on the mound, giving the Angels at least six innings for the third straight start and for the seventh time in 10 outings on year. His ERA (5.40) isn’t pretty, but he’s still pitched far better than expected. Damning with faint praise, I suppose.
Of course Keuchel starts to snap out of his funk while facing the Angels. The crafty lefty had allowed 18 runs in his last 18.1 IP coming into Saturday’s start.
Bullpen Battle
[googleapps domain=”docs” dir=”spreadsheets/d/1W6jCSTU1me5bCGO0P87LZbjJrXqER-Cfid2rUSNajwc/pubchart” query=”oid=1141913419&format=interactive” width=”620″ height=”315″ /]Mike Morin, Jose Alvarez, and Joe Smith kept Houston off the scoreboard for the final three innings, but it didn’t matter because Houston’s bullpen trio—Pat Neshek, Tony Sipp, Luke Gregerson—did the same. Remember Ken Giles? Whatever happened to that guy?
Game Flow
[googleapps domain=”docs” dir=”spreadsheets/d/1W6jCSTU1me5bCGO0P87LZbjJrXqER-Cfid2rUSNajwc/pubchart” query=”oid=41272350&format=interactive” width=”619″ height=”315″ /]Hard to win when the offense does literally nothing for the final eight innings.
Angel Antagonist
Everyone on the offense (but Trout and Pujols) deserves this one, but C.J. Cron gets it for prolonged futility. Since notching four extra-base hits in a four game span in the middle of the month, Cron is 6-for-43 (.140) with just one double.
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