Hector Santiago Faces Slumping Astros in Search of First Win

Jun 28, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitcher Hector Santiago (53) delivers a pitch against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

The legend of Mike Trout continues to grow.

He homered leading off the ninth to give the Angel a 7-6 comeback victory over Houston Friday night. Trout golfed a Tony Sipp slider over the left-center field fence and was mobbed by his teammates at home plate.

Things didn’t look as good for the Halos early. C.J. Wilson allowed six runs and seven hits in just under four innings. The struggling left-hander hasn’t lasted past the fifth inning since June 19. Home runs to Chris Carter, George Springer, and Jon Singleton– a three-run shot- marked the first time Wilson has yielded three in a game since the 2011 ALCS.

Luckily, Angels bats provided enough firepower to match Houston’s surging offense. Colin Cowgill’s second-inning ground out earned him an RBI, his 16^th of the season, David Freese notched an RBI double, and Albert Pujols slammed Dallas Keuchel’s fastball over the left field fence for a two-run homer.

More from LA Angels News

• Marcus Stroman definitely appears to be interested in the LA Angels
• LA Angels: 3 offseason moves the Halos desperately need to make
• LA Angels: AL West rival Astros proving that they’re not giving up yet
• 6 important offseason award dates and times for LA Angels fans
• This LA Angels move proves the Halos are trying to spend big on pitching

Howie Kendrick’s double in the seventh scored Pujols and tied the game at 6-6. Kendrick went 4-for-4, his first four-hit game since May 3, and raised his batting average to .284.

The Angels have won four of five meeting between the teams at Angel Stadium.

Pitching Matchup: Hector Santiago (0-7, 4.08 ERA) vs. Scott Feldman (4-5, 3.92 ERA)

After going 0-7 through his previous 13 appearances, Hector Santiago nearly earned his first victory as a Halo last Saturday. Mother Nature had other plans.

The left-hander tossed four solid innings, shutting out Kansas City on four hits before rain forced a stoppage in play. The short delay caused Angels manager Mike Scioscia to make a change, robbing Santiago of a would-be win. He searches for his first win since August 18, 2013.

Santiago is 0-1 against Houston, losing as a White Sox last season. He threw two scoreless innings of relief in an Angels loss earlier this year.

Scott Feldman carries a 5-7 record at Angel Stadium into Saturday night’s contest. He lost a 9-3 decision in May but baffled Halo batters in Houston on April 6, scattering three hits through seven innings.

Feldman has thrown the second-highest percentage of curveballs in the majors this season, behind only Josh Beckett. The breaking ball helped Feldman hit his stride in June as he limited teams to three runs or less in all but one start.

Walk offs:

1. Trout is 2-for-8, both singles, against Feldman.
2. The Angels have won 14 of their last 15 games at the Big A and maintain the best home record in the majors.
3. Houston is on a five game losing streak.

TV: 7:05 P.M. PST, Fox Sports WEST, CSN (Houston), MLB Network

Radio: KLAA 830, KBME 790