After scoring four runs on just one hit in the ninth inning to pull out the series opener on Monday, the Houston Astros will turn to right-hander Peter Lambert to try to clinch their three-game set against the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night in Anaheim, Calif.
Lambert (8-5, 3.03 ERA) has been a pleasant surprise for Houston manager Joe Espada’s squad.
The former second-round pick of the Colorado Rockies spent the 2025 season playing for the Yakult Swallows in Japan and was a non-roster invitee for the Astros in spring training. He spent the first three weeks of the season at Triple-A Sugar Land, where he made some tweaks to his delivery, and then he was called up after Houston’s starting staff was hit with a rash of injuries.
All Lambert has done since then is win a team-leading eight games, allowing two runs or less in nine of his past 10 starts.
“There’s always someone, one pitcher, that gets an opportunity and just runs with it,” Espada told The Athletic. “Peter’s been that guy for us. He’s stepped up. He’s been our ace, and he doesn’t back down from a challenge.”
Lambert is 0-0 with a 1.86 ERA in three career appearances (one start) against the Angels. He picked up a no-decision in a June 10 start at Angel Stadium when he allowed two runs on five hits and struck out six over 6 1/3 innings in a 3-2 loss in 10 innings.
Lambert is 2-0 with a 1.52 ERA in four starts in July. He has struck out 26 batters in 23 2/3 innings.
Left-hander Reid Detmers (3-7, 4.05 ERA), rumored to be on the trading block heading into the upcoming Monday trade deadline, could make perhaps his last start with the Angels.
Detmers is 1-4 with a 6.83 ERA in 14 career appearances (11 starts) against the Astros. He’s made two starts against them this season but hasn’t figured in the decision in either game, allowing a combined four earned runs on seven hits in 11 2/3 innings, with 18 strikeouts.
The teams split those two games.
Houston moved into second place in the American League West with the come-from-behind win Monday and trails the Texas Rangers by two games. The Astros also closed to within 1 1/2 games of the AL’s final wild-card spot.
Houston parlayed two Los Angeles errors, two hit batters, two walks and a Christian Walker single into four runs in the ninth inning to post a 6-4 victory on Monday.
Isaac Paredes was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make the score 4-4, and LaMonte Wade Jr. followed with a walk to force in the game-winning run. Three of the four runs were unearned after second baseman Vaughn Grissom, who homered and had three hits, let Lucas Spence’s potential double-play grounder go through his legs for an error.
“Obviously a tough way to lose,” Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said. “Definitely a tough one tonight, tough way to lose, just couldn’t make the plays. … Sometimes stuff like this happens. You’ve got to pick your head up. You’ve got to move forward. You’ve got to prepare again tomorrow and come back ready to play.”
A win Tuesday would move Houston to within one game of the .500 mark for the first time since April 10.
“Just proud of the effort, man,” Espada said. “We’re grinding through this. Tip my hat to those guys in there. They really love playing with each other, and they find way to win games, and that’s what good teams do.’
–Field Level Media
