HOUSTON —
The Angels were facing a pitcher not exactly known for racking up strikeouts. They were facing a Houston Astros team in the midst of a weeklong hitting slump. They were trying to bounce back from a gut-wrenching defeat the day before.
Instead, they stumbled to their fifth loss in their last seven games.
Little went right for the Angels in an 8-2 defeat at Minute Maid Park. They recorded just eight hits and struck out 15 times, including eight through the first three innings against Astros starter Cristian Javier. Their own starter, Alex Cobb, lasted just 22/3 innings, surrendering five runs (four earned) with six hits, three walks and four strikeouts.