Astros score winning run on a wild pitch for a 3-2, 10-inning victory over Angels

 ANAHEIM, California – The Houston Astros snatched a dramatic 3-2, 10-inning victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night, with Mauricio Dubón scoring the winning run on a wild pitch. The unconventional ending capped a hard-fought contest that saw both teams trade blows and rely on their bullpen.

The Astros wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, as Jeremy Peña launched a leadoff home run in the first inning, followed by a solo shot from Isaac Paredes, giving Houston an immediate 2-0 advantage. This marked the first time in three years that the Astros opened a game with back-to-back homers, signaling what promised to be an offensive outburst.

However, Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi settled in after the initial barrage, holding the Astros to just four hits through seven innings while striking out nine. The Angels began to chip away at the lead. Jo Adell blasted a 426-foot solo homer in the fourth inning to cut the deficit to one. Then, in the seventh, rookie Christian Moore, the eighth overall pick in last year's MLB Draft, belted his first career major league home run to tie the game at 2-2.

The game remained deadlocked through regulation, forcing extra innings. In the top of the 10th, with Mauricio Dubón placed on second as the automatic runner, Jeremy Peña led off with a single, advancing Dubón to third. Facing Angels reliever Hunter Strickland, who had been exceptional in his prior appearances, the pressure mounted. With Isaac Paredes at the plate, Strickland uncorked a wild pitch that sailed behind Paredes, allowing Dubón to race home from third and score the decisive run.

Josh Hader pitched a perfect ninth inning for the Astros, securing his fifth win of the season, and Bennett Sousa closed out the game in the tenth for his second save, preserving the 3-2 victory. The win marks the Astros' eighth in their last 10 games, continuing their climb in the standings. While the Angels battled hard and received solid performances from their pitching staff, the wild pitch ultimately proved to be their undoing in a tightly contested affair.

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