After taking a three-run lead into the eighth and a two-run lead into the ninth, the Angels lost to the Houston Astros, 6-4, amid a collection of bad pitches and defensive misplays.
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It was the ninth time this season that the Angels lost a game when leading after eight innings.
The Angels had used right-hander Ryan Zeferjahn, their top reliever, to face the top of the Houston lineup in the eighth. He gave up a run, but the Angels still led 4-2 when José Fermin took the mound to face the bottom of the Astros’ order in the ninth.
Fermin started the inning by hitting Taylor Trammell with a pitch. After a passed ball, Christian Walker dumped a single into center field.
Lucas Spence then hit a ground ball straight to second baseman Vaughn Grissom. It should have been a routine double play, with a run scoring, but the ball scooted through Grissom’s legs.
The Angels (42-65) got the next two outs, on a popped up bunt and a nice play by third baseman Denzer Guzman to get an out at the plate.
Right-hander Sam Bachman, who entered in relief of Fermin, couldn’t get the third before the go-ahead run scored.
The Angels intentionally walked Yordan Alvarez to load the bases. It was a non-traditional move, but understandable considering that Alvarez is one of the best hitters in the game. Isaac Paredes, a righty, was next.
Paredes fouled off four two-strike pitches before Bachman barely hit him in the elbow with a pitch, driving in the tying run.
Bachman then walked LaMonte Wade Jr. José Altuve hit a dribbler in front of the mound, and Bachman mishandled it, allowing the fourth run of the inning to score.
Even before that nightmarish sequence, the Angels had a chance to push home an insurance run in the seventh. With a runner at third and one out, Grissom struck out and then Josh Lowe popped up.
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It spoiled another strong performance from rookie Walbert Ureña, who was in line for the victory after giving up one run in six innings.
The 22-year-old right-hander has a 2.70 ERA in 93⅓ innings. In 19 starts, he’s allowed more than three runs just three times.
One of his only problems is that his pitch count often climbs, pushing him out of games sooner than the Angels would like.
That could have been an issue on Monday night, when he needed 27 pitches to get out of the second inning, giving him 40 for the game. Ureña issued two walks in the inning, and the Astros also constantly fouled off pitches.
After that, though, Ureña was much more efficient. He got through each of the next four innings with 15 pitches or fewer, finishing the sixth with 91.
Ureña also still had the increased fastball velocity that he showed in his previous start, which was after extra rest at the All-Star break. Ureña threw 13 pitches of 100 mph or harder, and he averaged 99 mph with his fastball.
Ureña left with a 4-1 lead, but the bullpen couldn’t get the job done.
They could have had a bigger cushion if the Angels had made more of another shaky start from Astros right-hander Tatsuya Imai, who has been a disaster since signing a three-year, $54 million deal to come over from Japan. Imai now has a 5.83 ERA, and he’s in jeopardy of losing his spot in the Houston rotation.
He walked four in the first inning, but the Angels had only one hit and managed just two runs.
They scored two more in the third, on a Grissom homer and a Jo Adell bloop double.
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More to come on this story.