LA Angels 10 at Houston 4 - Recap

HOUSTON -- Albert Pujols stroked a game-tying single in the eighth and C.J. Cron followed with a sacrifice fly that capped the Los Angeles Angels' four-run inning in their 10-4 win over the Houston Astros on Saturday night at Minute Maid Park.

The Angels (69-86) erased a three-run deficit in the latter innings for a second consecutive game, this time rallying against Astros right-handers Chris Devenski and Luke Gregerson. The Angels strung together five consecutive singles to turn the tables on Devenski, who struck out five batters in his first two innings of relief.

Kole Calhoun chased Devenski with an RBI single that scored pinch-hitter Rafael Ortega and cut the deficit to 4-2. Mike Trout and Pujols followed with hits off Gregerson (4-2), with Pujols driving in Calhoun to draw the Angels even.

Cron added his fly ball to shallow center field that required a diving catch from Jake Marisnick, which in turn enabled Trout to score with ease from third after a Gregerson wild pitch.

The Angels piled on with five runs in the ninth to move within one win of completing a four-game series sweep on Sunday.

The Astros (81-74) wasted another strong start from right-hander Brad Peacock by squandering a three-run lead that came courtesy of a George Springer RBI triple in the seventh and a subsequent run-scoring single from Yuli Gurriel.

Peacock had filled in admirably for Astros left-hander Dallas Keuchel, surrendering four earned runs in three starts and 15 innings. By the middle of the third inning, Peacock had retired all nine batters he faced, producing two strikeouts in the first and third innings to maintain his surprising effectiveness.

The Angels mustered a two-out rally against Peacock in the fourth, with Pujols following a Trout walk with a double blistered to right center. That was a temporary hiccup, however, for Peacock recovered to strike out Cron before retiring the Angels in order in the fifth to cap another strong outing.

Before giving way to Devenski, Peacock allowed one hit and two walks with a season-high seven strikeouts in five sterling innings. He started with a 2-1 lead and lowered his ERA to 2.25 in four September starts.

NOTES: Astros RHP Ken Giles was struck on the right wrist by a line drive during early batting practice. Giles was carted off the field and his status for the remainder of the season, let alone the series, is undetermined. Giles suffered his fifth blown save on Friday night, allowing six runs, three hits and three walks in the ninth inning. ... Angels C Jett Bandy returned to the starting lineup for the first time since Sept. 17 after departing against the Blue Jays with back spasms. Bandy did enter in the ninth inning on Friday night as a defensive replacement. ... Astros SS Carlos Correa was back in the lineup despite suffering a reaggravation of his left shoulder injury in the ninth inning on Friday night. Correa missed four games earlier this month with left shoulder inflammation.