Yainer Diaz, Astros overtake Angels, cap series sweep

Field Level Media|published: Thu 30th July, 01:02 2026

Jul 29, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Houston Astros right fielder Cam Smith (11) scores on a wild pitch by Los Angeles Angels pitcher Mitch Farris (70) during the sixth inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images

Yainer Diaz went 4-for-5 with a home run, three RBIs and two runs scored as the Houston Astros rallied from a three-run deficit to complete a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels with a 7-4 victory on Wednesday in Anaheim, Calif.

Hayden Wesneski (1-0), making his first major league appearance since May 6, 2025, having recovered from Tommy John surgery, picked up the win. He allowed three runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Wesneski walked two, struck out four and departed after throwing 79 pitches, 52 for strikes. Bryan Abreu threw 1 1/3 hitless innings to pick up his seventh save.

Jeremy Pena homered, Jose Altuve had two hits and scored a run and Cam Smith added a two-run double for Houston, which won for the eighth time in nine games.

The Astros, who got back to the .500 mark (55-55) for the first time since April 7 when they were 6-6, moved within one game of the first-place Texas Rangers in the American League West.

Jo Adell went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, Wade Meckler doubled and singled and Vaughn Grissom had two RBIs for Los Angeles, which lost for the sixth time in seven games. Mitch Farris (0-3) allowed three runs on two hits and three walks in one inning of relief, taking a loss for the second night in a row.

Los Angeles parlayed four hits and a walk into a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Zach Neto led off with a walk and advanced to third on a bloop double by Mike Trout. One out later, Grissom doubled into the left field corner to drive in Neto and Trout. Adell bounced a single into left field, sending home Grissom.

Houston cut the lead to 3-1 in the second on Diaz's seventh home run, a 425-foot drive over the bullpens in left field.

Pena led off the third inning with his 12th homer to make it 3-2.

The Astros scored three times in the sixth inning, highlighted by Smith's two-run double, to go in front 5-3. The visitors extended the lead to 6-3 an inning later on an RBI single by Diaz, driving in Altuve, who had singled.

The Angels cut the deficit to 6-4 in the eighth inning when Nolan Schanuel led off with a ground-rule double to right, advanced to third on a groundout by Grissom and scored on a sacrifice fly by Adell.

Diaz added an RBI single in the ninth inning to finish the scoring.

Angels starter Grayson Rodriguez threw five innings of two-run ball.

--Field Level Media

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