HOUSTON — Carlos Beltran hit his first home run this season and Jake Marisnick also homered to help the Houston Astros to a 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday.
Beltran’s shot came with one out and the first inning off Matt Shoemaker (0-1), and Marisnick’s second home run this season made it 2-0 in the fifth.
Lance McCullers (2-0) scattered 3 hits and struck out 8 over 6 2/3 scoreless innings as Houston won for the seventh time in eight games. Chris Devenski allowed a home run to Mike Trout starting the ninth inning and back-to-back singles with one out before fanning Cameron Maybin and Danny Espinosa for his first save.
Devenski, who pitched 2 1/3 innings on Thursday, has struck out 25 in 13 1/3 innings this season.
At 11-5 the Astros are off to their best start since 2006. They lead the AL West a year after a 7-17 start put them in a hole too big to climb out of last season.
Shoemaker allowed 3 hits and 2 runs while striking out 7 in a season-high 7 innings.
Trout’s home run was the only extra-base hit on Thursday for the Angels, who have lost eight of their last nine games.
Beltran put Houston ahead with his first-inning home run. Alex Bregman doubled with one out in the second before Evan Gattis drew a walk. But they were left stranded as Shoemaker struck out Marwin Gonzalez as the first of 10 consecutive Astros he retired.
Houston didn’t have another baserunner until Marisnick’s home run made it 2-0 with two outs in the fifth inning.
McCullers plunked Kole Calhoun with one out in the first inning and walked Maybin with two outs in the second inning. The Angels didn’t get a hit until Andrelton Simmons singled to start the fifth. But he was picked off trying to steal second base and McCullers retired the next two batters to end the inning.
McCullers was lifted after walking consecutive batters with two outs in the seventh inning.
RANGERS 1, ROYALS 0 (13) Delino DeShields had an RBI single with one out in the 13th inning to score Joey Gallo from second base and Texas beat Kansas City. It was only the third game in the 24 seasons of the Rangers’ ballpark to go to extra innings scoreless and this was the longest of those games.
RED SOX 4, BLUE JAYS 1 (10) Chris Sale struck out 13 over eight shutout innings, Mookie Betts hit a three-run double in the 10th and Boston beat struggling Toronto.
INDIANS 6, TWINS 2 Trevor Bauer struck out seven in 6 1/3 innings and Carlos Santana had two doubles and two RBI to lead Cleveland over Minnesota. Bauer (1-2) gave up 2 runs, 3 hits and 3 walks, lowering his ERA from 8.44 to 6.35.
RAYS 8, TIGERS 1 Steven Souza Jr. came within a single of hitting for the cycle, Erasmo Ramirez and two relievers combined on a five-hitter, and Tampa Bay beat Detroit.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
PHILLIES 6, METS 4 Maikel Franco homered and doubled while breaking the longest hitless streak of his career, and Philadelphia capitalized on an error by first baseman Jay Bruce to beat New York.
NATIONALS 3, BRAVES 2 Ryan Zimmerman hit a two-run home run, Stephen Strasburg struck out 10 and Washington beat Atlanta. Strasburg (2-0) allowed 2 runs, 6 hits and 2 walks in 7 innings.
BREWERS 7, CARDINALS 5 Jett Bandy, Eric Thames and Travis Shaw each hit home runs to help Milwaukee beat St. Louis. Zach Davies (1-2) allowed 4 runs on 8 hits in 5 1/3 innings.
PADRES 4, DIAMONDBACKS 1 Clayton Richard (2-2) pitched into the seventh inning and Wil Myers and Austin Hedges homered to lead San Diego to a victory over Arizona.
INTERLEAGUE
ORIOLES 2, REDS 1 (10) J.J. Hardy singled home the tiebreaking run in the 10th inning and Baltimore held on for a victory over Cincinnati.
Sports on 04/21/2017