Angels 2, Astros 1 (13)
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Taylor Featherston's RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the 13th inning lifted the Los Angeles Angels to a 2-1 win over the Houston Astros on Wednesday afternoon at Angel Stadium.
Featherston's hit off Astros reliever Chad Qualls helped the Angels take two of three in the series from the American League West-leading Astros.
Though Featherstone was doused in celebratory Gatorade after the game, the Angels' bullpen deserved much of the credit. Trevor Gott, Joe Smith, Huston Street, Fernando Salas and Jose Alvarez (2-1) combined to throw seven scoreless innings in relief of starter Andrew Heaney.
The Houston bullpen entered the game with a 2.65 ERA, second best in the majors, and matched the Los Angeles bullpen inning for inning until the 13th.
Left-hander Joe Thatcher, who pitched in 16 games for the Angels last season, entered in the 13th after Will Harris, Tony Sipp, Pat Neshek, Josh Fields and Luke Gregerson shut out the Angels between the seventh and 12th.
Angels shortstop Erick Aybar led off with a single and left fielder Daniel Robertson sacrificed him to second. First baseman Efren Navarro grounded out to second, moving Aybar to third.
Astros manager A.J. Hinch went to his bullpen again, bringing in Qualls to face catcher Chris Iannetta, who walked, setting up Featherston's heroics.
The Astros might have avoided extra innings if not for a blown rally against Smith in the top of the ninth, but they had two runners thrown out on the bases.
Left fielder Preston Tucker led off the inning with a single, but pinch-runner George Springer immediately got picked off.
Designated hitter Evan Gattis then hit a ball into the left-field corner, but left fielder Daniel Robertson threw out Gattis trying to stretch it into a double.
Both plays were challenged with a replay review, but both calls were upheld.
With two outs and nobody on base, center fielder Colby Rasmus walked, but first baseman Chris Carter struck out to end the ninth.
Heaney started for the Angels after being called up from Triple-A Salt Lake. Heaney, acquired in an offseason trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers for second baseman Howie Kendrick, had spent the entire season with the Bees, but the Angels needed a starter to fill the spot vacated by Jered Weaver, who is on the disabled list.
Heaney allowed only an RBI double to shortstop Carlos Correa in the sixth. He struck out six and walked one (intentional) while giving up four hits.
Astros starter Lance McCullers was equally effective, giving up one run in six innings. The Angels' only run against him came home on catcher Chris Iannetta's fourth-inning sacrifice fly.
The Angels broke through in the fourth after a leadoff walk by first baseman Albert Pujols. One out later, left fielder Matt Joyce singled and Navarro walked, loading the bases for Iannetta. He got just enough of a pitch to hit a fly ball to medium left field, scoring Pujols on the sacrifice fly for a 1-0 lead.
The Astros didn't put a runner in scoring position until the fifth, the result of an error by second baseman Johnny Giavotella on a grounder by Rasmus. With two outs, third baseman Luis Valbuena singled to right field, moving Rasmus first to third. Heaney, though, managed to escape, getting right fielder Domingo Santana on a fly to right to end the inning.
NOTES: Angels RHP Matt Shoemaker, originally scheduled to pitch Wednesday, had his start pushed back to Friday against the Mariners. ... Astros CF George Springer was not in the starting lineup as manager A.J. Hinch gave Springer his first day off since May 12. ... Angels starting pitchers began the day with 42 quality starts, ranking No. 2 in the American League. However, the starters had yielded the most home runs (60) of any rotation in the league. ... Fourteen of Astros 3B Luis Valbuena's team-leading 19 home runs have come with the bases empty.