Altuve's 3-Run Homer Propels Astros Past Angels

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP)  — Jose Altuve hit a three-run homer during Houston's four-run third inning, and Evan Gattis also homered in the Astros' 5-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday.

Mike Fiers pitched five innings and earned his first victory of the season with a boost from his bullpen, which threw four scoreless innings of two-hit ball.

Ken Giles rebounded from a rough blown save in Anaheim on Friday to pitch the ninth for his eighth save, and the AL West leaders won for the sixth time in eight games.

Yunel Escobar hit two home runs for the Angels, who have lost four of five. Two-time AL MVP Mike Trout sat out with a tight left hamstring for the third time in four games.

Matt Shoemaker (1-2) pitched five-hit ball into the seventh, but was undone by the Astros' big inning capped by Altuve's fifth homer of the season.

Fiers (1-1) yielded four hits and struck out five, but did enough to get in position for his first win in six starts.

Giles rebounded from blowing a four-run lead Friday night when he entered with the bases loaded and no outs.

On an unusually cloudy day in Orange County, Escobar doubled his homer total for the entire season in his second career multi-homer game, his first since 2014. He connected on Fiers' first pitch for his 10th career leadoff homer and added another solo shot in the fifth.

Altuve went deep right after Josh Reddick's RBI single drove in Houston's first run off Shoemaker. The Angels right-hander was chased by Gattis' solo shot on his first pitch of the seventh.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Astros: Utility infielder Marwin Gonzalez was out of the lineup with a sore right foot after getting hit by a pitch Saturday. Gonzalez has been on a hot streak at the plate, going 9 for 20.

Angels: C.J. Cron's right wrist was hit by a pitch Sunday during his rehab assignment with Triple-A Salt Lake. He was removed from the game, but X-rays revealed no fractures. He is day-to-day, Angels general manager Billy Eppler said. Cron is returning from a bruised left foot after fouling off a pitch late last month. ... Trout said he plans to play Monday at Oakland. He also missed games on Thursday and Saturday, but extended his hitting streak to 17 games on Friday. Trout has played in at least 157 games in four consecutive seasons, and he missed only three games in each of the past two years.

UP NEXT

Astros: After an off day, Charlie Morton (3-2, 3.97 ERA) makes the seventh start of his first season with the Astros on Tuesday against the Atlanta Braves, his former team.

Angels: Ricky Nolasco (2-2, 4.68) starts against the Oakland Athletics for the third time already this season when the Angels open a three-game set in the Bay Area.