Yainer Diaz and Ramon Urias each homered and drove in a pair in the season finale Sunday afternoon, propelling the Houston Astros to a 6-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Calif.
Brice Matthews and Victor Caratini also homered for Houston (87-75), which was eliminated from postseason contention on Saturday for the first time since 2016. Starter Lance McCullers Jr. allowed one run on two hits across three innings, striking out four and walking one.
Astros reliever Colton Gordon (6-4) threw five no-hit innings in relief, striking out three and walking one.
Mike Trout homered in his only at bat for the Angels before Logan O’Hoppe replaced him in the third. Sam Aldegheri (0-2) threw 4 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits, striking out five and walking three
The Angels (72-90) missed the postseason for the 11th straight year and finished with a losing record for the 10th straight time.
Mauricio Dubon’s single and Caratini’s hit-by-pitch in the first were followed by Diaz’s RBI single to give Houston a 1-0 lead.
Trout’s 26th homer of the season — a 443-foot shot to left-center — knotted the score in the bottom of the first.
Diaz hit his 20th homer of the year with one out in the fifth to give Houston a 2-1 edge. After Cam Smith’s two-out double, Urias slugged his 11th home run of the season to extend the lead to 4-1.
Connor Brogdon replaced Aldegheri, surrendering Matthews’ homer on the first pitch he threw. It was the fourth of the season for Houston’s rookie shortstop.
Caratini’s 12th homer tacked on a run in the sixth, putting Houston ahead 6-1.
Jo Adell and Chris Taylor singled to begin the ninth against Houston reliever Jayden Murray, before Carter Kieboom’s RBI single cut the Angels’ deficit to 6-2.
–Field Level Media