Astros 2, Angels 1
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- In a battle of journeyman pitchers, Erik Bedard outdueled Joe Blanton and led the Houston Astros to a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night at Angel Stadium.
Houston completed a four-game sweep and extending its season-best winning streak to six games.
Bedard (1-2) earned his first victory with the Astros, his fifth major league team, by allowing just one run and five hits through seven innings. It was his first major league victory since Aug. 12, 2012, while he was pitching for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Blanton (1-9) got his first victory as an Angel a couple weeks ago, but Monday was by far his best game as a member of his fourth major league team. He went eight innings and allowed two runs and three hits while striking out 11, tying a career best. He didn't walk a batter.
Blanton made just a couple of mistakes, and they cost him. Chris Carter homered in the fifth inning, and Matt Dominguez doubled and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Brandon Barnes in the sixth.
The Angels' only run off Bedard came in the third inning when J.B. Shuck doubled and later scored on Mike Trout's sacrifice fly.
Wesley Wright, Josh Fields and Jose Veras (11th save) combined to shut out the Angels for the final two innings and keep the streak alive. The six-game winning streak is the Astros' longest since July 27-Aug. 3, 2010, and the six-game road winning streak is the franchise's longest since July 2005.
The Angels took a 1-0 lead in the third inning against Bedard. The RBI was Trout's 38th of the season, tying Mark Trumbo for the team lead.
Meanwhile, Blanton was nearly perfect in the early innings. The only baserunner the Astros had through four innings was Dominguez, who reached on third baseman Alberto Callaspo's throwing error -- Callaspo's third error in two games. Dominguez reached second on the play, but was picked off by catcher Chris Iannetta.
Blanton held the Astros hitless through 4 2/3 innings, no small feat considering the right-hander went into the game leading the American League with 100 hits allowed. He struck out the first two batters in the fifth inning, but Carter ruined the no-hit and shutout bids with a home run, a laser shot over the left field fence and into the Astros' bullpen that tied the game at 1-1.
NOTES: Angels RF Josh Hamilton was not in the starting lineup Monday. Manager Mike Scioscia said it was a day off to "recharge," and not related to the back spasms that forced Hamilton out of the lineup twice last week. Hamilton walked as a ninth-inning pinch hitter. ... Trout is the leading vote-getter among American League outfielders so far in results released Monday. Trout, who trails Miguel Cabrera and Robinson Cano in the overall voting, made the All-Star team last season as a reserve. ... Astros OF Justin Maxwell will begin a rehab assignment Tuesday for Double-A Corpus Christi. Maxwell has been on the disabled list since April 24 because of a broken left hand. ... Astros SS Marwin Gonzalez returned to the starting lineup for the first time since May 17, and he went 0-for-2 with a sacrifice. He had been out due to a strained right hamstring. INF Ronny Cedeno started the previous six games at shortstop in Gonzalez's place and hit .158 (3-for-19).
