Shoemaker has another good start but Astros beat Angels 3-2
HOUSTON (AP) - Matt Shoemaker has just one win in his past seven starts despite posting a 2.09 ERA.
The Los Angeles Angels are impressed with the way he's bounced back after a tough start to the season and hope that eventually his improvement will lead to more wins.
Shoemaker allowed eight hits and three runs in 7 1/3 innings for his third straight loss, 3-2 to the Houston Astros on Wednesday.
"He's making pitches, he's bringing everything into the game, he's pitching extraordinary baseball we just haven't given him the run support," manager Mike Scioscia said.
"I think that also highlights how well he's pitching that he's been pitching so deep in games and in close games without the support that would help him to relax and make some pitches."
Shoemaker said it's frustrating to pitch well and not earn any wins, but he's encouraged by how he's feeling on the mound.
"I'm in a good place," he said. "I want to go out there the rest of this year and hopefully the rest of my career and pitch like this."
Jose Altuve homered and Marwin Gonzalez's tiebreaking RBI triple in the eighth inning helped the Astros to the victory.
George Springer singled with one out before Gonzalez hit a towering fly ball just to the right of straightaway center field off Shoemaker (3-8).
Shane Robinson sprinted up Tal's Hill to grab it, but it sailed just out of his reach before Robinson crashed into the padded wall, allowing Springer to score and make it 2-1.
The hill was supposed to be removed this offseason, but the construction was pushed back indefinitely.
Scioscia is not a fan of it.
"(It's) absolutely a safety thing, there's no doubt," Scioscia said. "I just think if you go talk to anybody there's absolutely not a player in baseball that wouldn't say get that thing out of there. So I hope they do."
Houston added an insurance run on a groundout by Carlos Correa in the eighth.
Will Harris allowed a run-scoring single by Kole Calhoun with one out in the ninth, but Yunel Escobar was out at second on the play. Harris then retired Mike Trout for his sixth save. Luke Gregerson (2-1) struck out one in a scoreless eighth for the win.
Escobar's RBI single gave the Angels a 1-0 lead in the third and Altuve's homer tied it in the sixth.
The Astros are beginning to heat up after a poor start, and have won seven of the past eight games and 20 of their past 28.
Houston starter Lance McCullers allowed six hits and one run with six strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.
The Astros tied it at 1-all when Altuve hit one high on the wall in left-center with one out in the sixth inning.
Correa doubled after that, but Shoemaker got out of that inning thanks to a nifty play by C.J. Cron. He stretched out to snag a liner hit by Colby Rasmus and tossed it to second for the double play.
Jett Bandy, who finished with three hits, singled to start the third before Robinson drew a walk. Bandy slid to beat the throw home and scored on the single by Escobar to put Los Angeles up 1-0. Trout walked with one out to load the bases, but McCullers worked out of the jam by striking out Cron and Johnny Giavotella.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Angels: 1B Albert Pujols missed his second straight game on Wednesday with an injured left hamstring. Scioscia said it's too soon to be thinking about placing him on the disabled list and that he's day to day with the injury. "When I'm good, I'm good and I'm going to play," Pujols said. "Right now I'm not going to take my chances."
UP NEXT
Angels: Tim Lincecum (1-0, 1.50) will start for Los Angeles when they open a four-game series at Oakland on Thursday. Lincecum won his debut with the team by allowing four hits and one earned run in six innings of a 7-1 victory at Oakland on Saturday.
Astros: The Astros are off on Thursday before Dallas Keuchel (3-9, 5.32) starts on Friday in the opener of a three-game series at Kansas City. Last year's AL Cy Young Award winner is trying to get back on track after dropping his past three decisions and eight of his past nine.