Astros aim to continue dominance of Angels

The visiting Houston Astros will look to continue their good fortune against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night when the teams open a three-game series in Anaheim, Calif.

The Astros have won seven of their past nine games overall this season and 18 of their last 26 against the Angels since the beginning of 2023.

Despite falling to the Athletics 6-4 in 10 innings on Thursday night, first-place Houston boasts a five-game lead over the Seattle Mariners and a 6 1/2-game edge on Los Angeles in the American League West.

Helping key another winning season for the Astros has been a pitching staff that owns a 3.42 ERA -- sixth best in the majors. The staff is led by right-hander Hunter Brown (8-3, 1.88 ERA), who will start on Friday.

Brown, 26, will look to extend his stellar start to his third full big-league season. He has the American League's best ERA and the majors' second-best -- behind only Pittsburgh's Paul Skenes (1.85).

Brown has allowed two earned runs or fewer in four consecutive starts. He surrendered two runs on three hits in seven innings in a no-decision against the Minnesota Twins on Saturday. Houston won 3-2.

"Hunter came determined and focused," Astros manager Joe Espada said of Brown's start against the Twins. "He was making really good pitches -- the changeup, the fastball up against some really good ... hitters. He was executing everything."

In three career starts against the Angels, Brown is 1-1 with a 3.31 ERA.

The Angels will begin a nine-game homestand on Friday against Houston before welcoming the Boston Red Sox and the Washington Nationals to close out June.

Despite falling 7-3 in the series finale against the New York Yankees on Thursday, Los Angeles took the series by winning three in a row in the Bronx by a combined score of 8-2.

With the Angels just two games out of the last wild-card spot in the crowded AL standings, veteran manager Ron Washington knows a series win in June is just a baby step.

"We won three games. I'm not going to put any more stock into that," Washington said. "We'll see where the season ends up, and I might be able to look back on this, and then I can give a braggadocious answer."

Left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (2-6, 3.05 ERA) is scheduled to make his 16th start of the season for the Angels on Friday. Kikuchi, 34, allowed five runs (three earned) on seven hits across 5 2/3 innings on Sunday against the Baltimore Orioles. In the Angels' 11-2 loss, Kikuchi struck out a season-high 10 batters.

"He had some life on his fastball, and he threw some good sliders that were down and in," Washington said. "He moved the ball around, he worked fast and got quick outs. That's what you want out of him."

A longtime American League West rival of Houston as a member of the Mariners, Kikuchi has a 1-5 record and a 6.00 ERA in 14 career starts against the Astros.

--Field Level Media