Astros 8, Angels 2
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Brad Peacock gave up two runs and four hits in 6 1/3 innings to lead the Houston Astros to an 8-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night at Angel Stadium.
Chris Carter drove in five runs with a sacrifice fly, an RBI single and a three-run homer, and Matt Dominguez and L.J. Hoes each had three hits to help the Astros beat the Angels for the eighth time in 14 games this season.
The Astros have won three of four on their current trip after taking two of three in Oakland. Meanwhile, the Angels continue to sink further into oblivion. They've now lost five of six and nine of 12, and are 10-18 since the All-Star break. At 54-67, the Angels are a season-worst 13 games below .500 and are on pace to lose 90 games for the first time since 1999.
Peacock (2-4) made it look easy, even though he has spent most of the season in the minors and the win was his first in the majors since April 10.
Both of the runs he allowed were unearned. He also got a big boost from reliever Josh Zeid, who induced an inning-ending double-play grounder from Peter Bourjos when the Angels had mounted a rally in the seventh inning.
Angels starter Jerome Williams (5-9) threw four scoreless innings but couldn't make it out of the fifth. He gave up three runs, five hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings. Hank Conger had two hits and an RBI for the Angels.
Both starters pitched well in the early innings.
Peacock retired 12 of the first 13 Angels hitters he faced through four innings, allowing only a leadoff single to Hank Conger in the third.
Williams held the Astros scoreless on two hits through four innings but had to escape a jam in the third. Jonathan Villar walked to lead off the inning, then went to third when first baseman Kole Calhoun couldn't handle a pickoff attempt for a two-base error. Williams, however, responded by striking out both Robbie Grossman and Brett Wallace, then getting Jose Altuve on a grounder to second.
The Astros broke the scoreless tie in the fifth, getting an RBI single by Grossman, a bases-loaded walk by Jason Castro and a sacrifice fly -- on a diving catch by left fielder Mike Trout -- by Chris Carter for a 3-0 lead.
The Angels cut the deficit to 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth when Erick Aybar singled to lead off the inning and eventually scored on a groundout by Conger.
NOTES: Peter Bourjos was activated from the disabled list and started in center field for the Angels. He missed 39 games after breaking a bone in his right wrist when hit by a pitch on June 29. INF Tommy Field was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake to make room on the roster for Bourjos. Field hit .125 (2 for 16) in 10 games for the Angels. ... Angels 1B/DH Albert Pujols, out since July 28 because of a partially torn plantar fascia in his left foot, had his walking boot removed. He continues to say he has not ruled out returning to the field this season and now can begin exercising, but there currently is no rehab assignment scheduled. ... Castro took a 12-game hitting streak into the game, during which he hit .370 (17-for-46) with four doubles, two homers and 10 RBIs. It's the longest hitting streak by an Astro this season. ... Astros RHP Chia-Jen Lo has begun his major league career with six consecutive scoreless relief appearances (6 1/3 innings) since being called up from Double-A Corpus Christi on July 30. Opposing batters are hitting .182 (4 for 22) against him. ... Villar has 11 stolen bases since the All-Star break, tied for the most in the majors during that time. He ahs been caught stealing four times.
