Los Angeles Angels at Houston Astros

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
LAA	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	5	0
HOU	0	0	1	2	0	0	0	0	—	3	5	1

Walbert Ureña came in with one of the quieter good ERAs in the league and a clean 6 shutout innings against Texas his last time out. Houston's answer was Ethan Pecko, the org's No. 9 prospect and reigning Minor League Pitcher of the Year, getting the ball for his first big-league start with a 98-mph fastball and a sweeper nobody in the Angels' dugout had ever seen live.

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Total

Angels(50-76)

WLWLW

2

+1.5-156+138o8.5+102

Astros(63-63)

LLLWW

3

-1.5+153-138u8.5-102

Best BetAngels +147

Postgame

The pick missed — Houston's rookie won his debut and the Astros' lineup did just enough, scoring in the 3rd and 4th to hold on 3-2. Ureña's arm was the right read, the offense behind him just didn't show up when it mattered.

Pregame

Ureña's been the most reliable arm in the Angels rotation for months, and he catches a real break tonight: Houston is sending a pitcher with zero Major League innings to the mound. That's the kind of talent gap in a single game that can matter more than either team's overall record. Backing the Angels here is a bet that this specific pitching matchup decides the outcome more than the standings do.

It got complicated in the first inning before either pitcher settled anything. Jeremy Peña took a 100 mph Ureña sinker off the right hand, stayed in to play the field for two more innings, then came out for a pinch hitter in the third with what Houston is calling a contusion — a scare that could have been worse and, for tonight at least, cost the Astros their shortstop.

Walbert Ureña

(8-9)·2.80 ERA

Aug 13 vs Rangers

W

6.0IP

0ER

5K

2BB

100P

08/19 Lineup

Ethan Pecko

(0-0)·4.91 ERA

08/19 Lineup

Both offenses did their damage in a tight window and then went quiet. Houston answered the Angels' 2-spot in the 4th with a run in the 3rd and 2 more in the 4th, and neither bullpen allowed another crossed plate the rest of the way. A rookie making his debut got the win in a 1-run game against a division opponent trying to play spoiler — that's a stressful way to start a career.

The Angels showed up with the loose, nothing-to-lose energy of a team already at 50-76, having taken the series opener against this same Houston club 3-1. That's been the story of their last stretch — a .500ish run mixed in with the long-term absences piling up on the injury report, from Kikuchi's shoulder to Rendon's hip to Moncada still not doing baseball activities.

Los Angeles Angels

(9)

• Day-To-DaySamy Natera Jr. (RP) — Natera recorded the save Sunday against the Rangers, striking out two in a perfect ninth inning.08/20
• 15-Day-ILSam Bachman (RP) — Bachman (forearm) played catch out to 60 feet Monday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.08/11
• 15-Day-ILShaun Anderson (RP) — The Angels placed Anderson on the 15-day injured list Monday due to right shoulder inflammation.08/10
• 60-Day-ILYusei Kikuchi (SP) — Kikuchi (shoulder) said Sunday that he expects to join the Angels on their upcoming six-game road trip and believes he'll be ready to return from the 60-day injured list during that time, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.08/16
• 60-Day-ILSebastian Rivero (C) — The Angels transferred Rivero (hand) to the 60-day injured list Saturday.08/15
• 60-Day-ILYoan Moncada (3B) — Moncada (knee) has been rehabbing at his home and hasn't started baseball activities, MLB.com reports.07/22
• 60-Day-ILJack Kochanowicz (SP) — Kochanowicz's Tommy John surgery on his right elbow was deemed "successful," per MLB.com.06/27
• 60-Day-ILRobert Stephenson (RP) — The Angels announced that Stephenson underwent ligament and flexor repair surgery on his right elbow Wednesday and is likely to miss the remainder of the season, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.05/08
• 60-Day-ILAnthony Rendon (3B) — The Angels placed Rendon (hip) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.05/08

Houston Astros

(5)

• Day-To-DayJeremy Pena (SS) — Pena went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Mariners.08/20
• 15-Day-ILMike Burrows (SP) — Burrows (elbow) will make a rehab start for Triple-A Sugar Land on Friday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.08/11
• 60-Day-ILBrice Matthews (CF) — General manager Dana Brown said Sunday that the Astros are targeting "mid-August, potentially the third week of August" for Matthews' (knee) return from the 10-day injured list, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.08/19
• 60-Day-ILCarlos Correa (SS) — Correa (ankle) has been cleared to hit off a tee, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.08/11
• 60-Day-ILBrandon Walter (SP) — The Astros announced Friday that Walter (elbow) is in the midst of a throwing progression at the team's complex in West Palm Beach, Fla., Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.06/04

Houston, meanwhile, had dropped 3 straight before tonight and needed exactly this kind of response — from an unproven arm, no less — to keep the .500 club afloat in a season where every game against a sub-.500 opponent is one they should be banking.

Los Angeles Angels

(50-76)

Aug 19W@ Astros3-1

Aug 16Lvs Royals0-3

Aug 16Wvs Royals1-0

Aug 15Lvs Royals6-7

Aug 14Wvs Rangers7-0

Houston Astros

(63-63)

Aug 19Lvs Angels1-3

Aug 16Lvs Mariners2-3

Aug 15Lvs Mariners5-10

Aug 15Wvs Mariners10-7

Aug 12W@ Giants2-1