ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The drama seemingly never ends for the Los Angeles Angels
Andrelton Simmons hit a walk-off single as the Angels broke a three-game losing streak by defeating the Houston Astros 2-1 on Saturday night.
Kole Calhoun walked to lead off the bottom of the ninth, and Albert Pujols hit a single into short left field to send Calhoun to third with no outs. After Luis Valbuena struck out, Simmons hit a chopper to shortstop Carlos Correa and Calhoun easily crossed home plate before the throw for the team's MLB-best fourth walk-off win of the season.
"I mean, it would be nice if we blew a couple guys out, you know, but this team just doesn't quit, doesn't give up. Anytime we've been down lately, it's like we find a way to get back in it, tie it up, get a lead," Calhoun said.
The Angels have trailed in 11 of their 16 wins this season. While many of those games have been defined by offensive outbursts, the Angels managed just five hits.
"Tonight, that was all the pitching staff tonight. They're just waiting for us to score a run," Calhoun said.
Bud Norris (1-1) picked up the win in relief, while Chris Devenski (2-2) took the loss.
J.C. Ramirez took some pressure off the over-worked Angels' bullpen by offering six strong innings. He gave up one run, which came in the first inning after Carlos Beltran hit a bloop double down the third-base line to drive in Correa, eight hits and walked two.
"It felt like we had people on every inning, but it wasn't our night," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said.
Lance McCullers was just as effective for the Astros, allowing two hits and striking out four in seven innings. The only run the Angels pushed across with McCullers on the mound was unearned in the second inning. A passed ball allowed Valbuena to advance and he was driven in by Cameron Maybin.
"The one hiccup was just a cross-up that advanced 90 feet, and as you learn in a close game 90 feet matters," Hinch said.
TROUT OUT
Mike Trout was a surprising last-minute scratch for the Angels. Trout was removed as a precautionary measure after experiencing tightness in his left hamstring during warmups and is day-to-day, the team said.
Maybin took Trout's place in center field, and Ben Revere stepped in for Maybin in left.
Trout had extended his hitting streak to a career-high 17 games in the Angels' 7-6 extra-inning loss to the Astros on Friday night, but had been dealing with the tight hamstring for three or four days, Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.
"We gave him a day off and he bounced back, felt good," Scioscia said. "We're going to exercise every precaution, especially with a hamstring. He plays a demanding position in center and needs to be able to move."
BIRTHDAY OFF, ALMOST
Despite holding a 14-game hitting streak at Angel Stadium, Astros 2B Jose Altuve was not scheduled to play on Saturday, which also happened to be his 27th birthday. "Probably the best present I can give him is a day off," Hinch said before the game. But Hinch backtracked in the top of the ninth by using Altuve as a pinch-runner for Alex Bregmann, and he was caught stealing second. Altuve then took over at second base, with Marwin Gonzalez moving to third.
ARM ADDITION
The Angels added another reliever in RHP Damien Magnifico in a trade with Baltimore and optioned him to the team's Triple-A affiliate in Salt Lake City. Magnifico is already with his third organization this season, having started the year with Milwaukee. "I know he's got a big arm," Scioscia said of Magnifico, who appeared in three games for the Brewers last season.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Astros: Gonzalez was hit by a pitch on the top of his left foot in the second inning. Gonzalez remained in the game despite clearly laboring as he ran the bases and still appeared to be trying to walk it off after his next at-bat in the fourth.
Angels: Scioscia said RHP Andrew Bailey (shoulder) came out of his second bullpen session since being placed on the DL "OK" but did not know when he would return. "Started off really strong, he got a little tired afterwards and we're just going to continue the same course of action," Scioscia said.
UP NEXT
Astros: RHP Mike Fiers (0-1) hasn't figured into the decision of his last four starts, giving up 15 earned runs in 19 1/3 innings. Fiers had one of his worst 2016 outings in his last appearance at Angel Stadium, pulled after being blasted for seven runs in 3 2/3 innings.
Angels: RHP Matt Shoemaker (1-1) was on the wrong end of a 2-1 loss at the Astros on April 20. Shoemaker has given up two or more earned runs in each of his six starts this season.
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More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball



Final
Series: Game 2 of 3

Astros 1

(20-11, 8-5 away)

Angels 2

(16-16, 10-5 home)





9:07PM,EDT,May 6,2017
Angel Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim,California 

123456789 R H E
HOU 100000000 1 9 0
LAA 010000001 2 5 0
W: B. Norris (1-1)
L: C. Devenski (2-2)





View: Play-By-Play | Pitch-By-PitchInning: All | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
Houston - Top of 1stSCORE
JC Ramirez pitching for Los AngelesHOULAA
Springer struck out swinging.00
Reddick grounded out to shortstop.00
Correa doubled to deep left center.00
Beltrán doubled to left, Correa scored.10
McCann grounded out to second.10
1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors
Los Angeles - Bottom of 1stSCORE
Lance McCullers Jr. pitching for HoustonHOULAA
Escobar grounded out to shortstop.10
Calhoun grounded out to first.10
Pujols struck out looking.10
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Houston - Top of 2ndSCORE
JC Ramirez pitching for Los AngelesHOULAA
Gurriel flied out to right.10
González hit by pitch.10
Bregman singled to right, González to second.10
Aoki grounded into double play, second to shortstop to first, Bregman out at second.10
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Los Angeles - Bottom of 2ndSCORE
Lance McCullers Jr. pitching for HoustonHOULAA
Valbuena singled to deep right.10
Simmons grounded out to shortstop, Valbuena to second.10
Valbuena to third on passed ball by McCann.10
Maybin grounded out to shortstop, Valbuena scored.11
Pennington struck out swinging.11
1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Houston - Top of 3rdSCORE
JC Ramirez pitching for Los AngelesHOULAA
Springer walked.11
Reddick grounded into double play, second to shortstop to first, Springer out at second.11
Correa lined out to third.11
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Los Angeles - Bottom of 3rdSCORE
Lance McCullers Jr. pitching for HoustonHOULAA
Maldonado grounded out to shortstop.11
Revere grounded out to third.11
Escobar walked.11
Calhoun lined out to second.11
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Houston - Top of 4thSCORE
JC Ramirez pitching for Los AngelesHOULAA
Beltrán lined out to third.11
McCann walked.11
Gurriel singled to left, McCann to second.11
González flied out to left.11
McCann to third, Gurriel to second on wild pitch by Ramírez.11
Bregman grounded out to shortstop.11
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Los Angeles - Bottom of 4thSCORE
Lance McCullers Jr. pitching for HoustonHOULAA
Pujols grounded out to shortstop.11
Valbuena singled to shallow right.11
Simmons grounded into fielder's choice to third, Valbuena out at second.11
Maybin lined out to center.11
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Houston - Top of 5thSCORE
JC Ramirez pitching for Los AngelesHOULAA
Aoki singled to left.11
Springer reached on infield single to shortstop, Aoki to second.11
Reddick grounded into fielder's choice to first, Springer out at second, Aoki to third.11
Correa grounded into double play, shortstop to second to first, Reddick out at second.11
0 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors
Los Angeles - Bottom of 5thSCORE
Lance McCullers Jr. pitching for HoustonHOULAA
Pennington lined out to left.11
Maldonado flied out to right.11
Revere struck out swinging.11
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Houston - Top of 6thSCORE
JC Ramirez pitching for Los AngelesHOULAA
Beltrán grounded out to second.11
McCann singled to left.11
Gurriel flied out to center.11
González singled to shallow center, McCann to second.11
Bregman struck out swinging.11
0 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors
Los Angeles - Bottom of 6thSCORE
Lance McCullers Jr. pitching for HoustonHOULAA
Escobar grounded out to shortstop.11
Calhoun grounded out to first.11
Pujols flied out to center.11
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Houston - Top of 7thSCORE
Blake Parker pitching for Los AngelesHOULAA
Parker relieved Ramírez.11
Aoki grounded out to shortstop.11
Springer flied out to center.11
Reddick struck out swinging.11
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Los Angeles - Bottom of 7thSCORE
Lance McCullers Jr. pitching for HoustonHOULAA
Valbuena walked.11
Simmons struck out looking.11
Maybin grounded into double play, shortstop to second to first, Valbuena out at second.11
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Houston - Top of 8thSCORE
David Hernandez pitching for Los AngelesHOULAA
Hernandez relieved Parker.11
Correa popped out to shortstop.11
Beltrán struck out swinging.11
McCann singled to left.11
Gurriel struck out swinging.11
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Los Angeles - Bottom of 8thSCORE
Will Harris pitching for HoustonHOULAA
Harris relieved McCullers Jr..11
Pennington grounded out to second.11
Maldonado doubled to deep right.11
Espinosa ran for Maldonado.11
Revere grounded out to shortstop, Espinosa to third.11
Escobar struck out swinging.11
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Houston - Top of 9thSCORE
Bud Norris pitching for Los AngelesHOULAA
Graterol catching.11
Norris relieved Hernandez.11
González lined out to left.11
Bregman struck out swinging, Bregman safe at first on wild pitch by Norris.11
Altuve ran for Bregman.11
Altuve caught stealing second, catcher to shortstop.11
Aoki grounded out to second.11
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Los Angeles - Bottom of 9thSCORE
Chris Devenski pitching for HoustonHOULAA
González at third base.11
Altuve at second base.11
Devenski relieved Harris.11
Calhoun walked.11
Pujols singled to left, Calhoun to third.11
Valbuena struck out swinging.11
Simmons reached on infield single to shortstop, Calhoun scored, Pujols to second.12
1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors




Final
Series: Game 2 of 3

Astros 1

(20-11, 8-5 away)

Angels 2

(16-16, 10-5 home)
Coverage:  FSW
9:07 PM ET, May 6, 2017
Angel Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, California 

123456789 R H E
HOU 100000000 1 9 0
LAA 010000001 2 5 0
W: B. Norris (1-1)
L: C. Devenski (2-2)

Game Notes

CF TROUT (TIGHT LEFT HAMSTRING) SCRATCHED FROM STARTING LINEUP

Game Information

StadiumAngel Stadium of Anaheim, Anaheim, CA
Attendance41,097 (90.3% full) - % is based on regular season capacity
Game Time2:47
Weather63 degrees, cloudy
Wind8 mph
UmpiresHome Plate - Fieldin Culbreth, First Base - Mark Carlson, Second Base - Clint Fagan, Third Base - Manny Gonzalez