Anaheim, CA – Josh Hamilton's game-winning solo homer in the bottom of the 10th inning lifted the LA Angels of Anaheim to a 6-5 win over the Houston Astros in the middle test of a three-game set.
Erick Aybar popped out to Jonathan Villar at shortstop before Hamilton smacked an 0-2 pitch from Josh Fields (1-3) over the wall in right-center for the walk-off win.
"He tried to throw me a curveball in the dirt and he left it up. I wasn't sure I got it and when I looked up it was a good feeling," Hamilton said of the homer.
Ernesto Frieri (1-4) struck out four over two scoreless innings to pick up the win.
Mark Trumbo cracked a solo shot and finished with three RBI for the Angels, who have won two of their last three contests on the heels of a four-game skid.
Brett Wallace belted a two-run homer among his three hits and registered three RBI for Houston, which had won three of its last four games coming in.
"The positive is that we were in position to win the ballgame, we swung the bats well," Astros manager Bo Porter said.
Trumbo's leadoff shot in the second opened the scoring before Houston plated a pair in the third. Wallace had an RBI single and with the bases loaded and none away a bit later in the frame, Villar came across to score when Jose Altuve grounded into a double play.
The Halos, though, answered with three two-out runs in the home third.
Collin Cowgill and Mike Trout singled before Trumbo brought them both home with a triple to right. Aybar stepped up next and doubled to plate Trumbo for a 4-2 LA edge.
The Astros countered with three runs in the fifth.
Robbie Grossman hit a one-out single before Wallace cracked a two-run shot to left. Altuve then singled and came home when Chris Carter doubled two batters later for a 5-4 Houston advantage.
Aybar's RBI single in the seventh tied the contest at 5-5.
Game Notes
Angels starter Garrett Richards allowed five runs on 12 hits over six-plus frames, while Houston starter Dallas Keuchel surrendered four runs on eight hits and three walks over four-plus innings.
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