A Tough Start, but a Strong Finish
It didn’t start out great for our boys as Taylor Ward homered to left-center in the top of the 1st inning, putting the Angels up 1-0 early. Our pitching, however, managed to quickly recover with crucial strikeouts from Wagaman, Neto, and O'Hoppe.
Offensive Struggles in Early Innings
We had a tough time getting on base through the first few innings. Alex Bregman gave us some hope with a single in the bottom of the 3rd, but was unfortunately picked off as we continued to struggle at the plate. The Angels' defense did a good job of keeping us at bay.
Turning the Tide in the 4th Inning
Our moment came in the bottom of the 4th when Yainer Diaz reached first on a fielding error by Wagaman, followed by a Jeremy Peña single to center. Victor Caratini then delivered with a single to center, bringing Diaz home and tying the game at 1-1. Finally, we were on the board!
Some Stellar Relief Pitching
Our bullpen really showed up today. Neris, Abreu, and Hader delivered strong performances, keeping the Angels from scoring any further. Every strikeout and groundout was a critical moment to maintain the momentum and keep the game tied.
Sealing the Deal in the 8th Inning
The bottom of the 8th was what sealed the game for us. Yordan Alvarez walked, and Kyle Tucker followed suit. Diaz’s ground out moved Alvarez to third, setting the stage for Jon Singleton. Singleton doubled to center, scoring both Alvarez and Diaz to give us the lead! Jason Heyward was intentionally walked, but Dubón grounded out to end the inning. However, we now led 3-1!
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️Closing It Out Strong
With Hader coming in for the 9th, we felt confident. He didn't disappoint, striking out O'Hoppe, and securing outs from Wagaman and Adams to seal our victory.
Final Thoughts
A well-earned 3-1 victory today, guys! Despite early struggles, we showed true resilience and clutch performance in the later innings. Great pitching and a pivotal 8th inning came through for us. Let's keep this momentum going!
Go Astros!
Scoreboard for Angels @ Astros (September 20th, 2024)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0 |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 |