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The Los Angeles Angels are looking to win their fifth straight series to open the season, something they haven’t done since 2018.

The Houston Astros are just seeking a little more consistency.

The teams meet in Houston on Sunday in the rubber match of a three-game series. The Astros won the opener 14-3 on Friday, then managed just three hits in losing 4-1 on Saturday.

Los Angeles starter Tyler Anderson carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning in Saturday’s win as the Angels improved to 9-5.

“Anderson is always tough on us,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “He changed speeds, used both sides of the plate. We had a little push there at the end and couldn’t come through, but have an opportunity to win a series tomorrow.”

Anderson retired his first 10 batters, escaped walking the bases loaded in the fourth inning, and did not allow a hit until Yordan Alvarez doubled with two outs in the sixth. Anderson tamed the Astros after they collected 16 hits on Friday.

“We needed (Anderson) to slow those bats down,” Angels manager Ron Washington said, “and he did it. He really slowed those bats down. We needed him to do that.”

Taylor Ward and Nolan Schanuel each hit solo home runs on Saturday for Los Angeles, which has hit 25 home runs across its last nine games.

Mike Trout added a two-run single in the victory, and Kyren Paris continued his hot start with a single and fifth stolen base.

Paris is batting .400 with five home runs in 13 games, but Washington is keeping the 23-year-old low in the batting order. Paris batted seventh on Saturday.

“He’s swinging the bat very, very well because of where he is,” Washington said. “We get two months into the season, three months into the season and he’s still pounding the ball like that, maybe we might think about moving him up a little bit. We just want Kyren to keep growing.”

Los Angeles will send right-hander Kyle Hendricks (0-0, 1.64 ERA) to the mound for the series finale. He has pitched well in each of his first two starts.

Hendricks gave up two hits over five scoreless innings in a no-decision against the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday.

He is making his first appearance against Houston since May 29, 2019, when he allowed one run over eight innings in a 2-1 victory as a member of the Chicago Cubs.

The Astros will counter with right-hander Hayden Wesneski (0-1, 3.75), who received a no-decision after allowing two runs on three hits over seven innings against host Seattle on Monday. He struck out five with no walks.

“He was in the zone early, and once he was ahead, he missed where he needed to miss,” Espada said. “Got some swings-and-miss. Had the sweeper, fastball, good changeup. He had everything working for him.”

Wesneski is 1-0 with a 1.64 ERA in two career starts covering 11 innings against the Angels.

The Astros are monitoring the status of infielder Brendan Rodgers, who has missed the past two games with a sore left hip and is listed as day-to-day.

–Field Level Media