Central Plains FFA Chapter

03/26 18:31 CDT Mike Trout homers to kick off what he hopes will be a healthy 2026 as Angels blank Astros 3-0 Mike Trout homers to kick off what he hopes will be a healthy 2026 as Angels blank Astros 3-0 HOUSTON (AP) --- Mike Trout homered to launch what he hopes will be a bounce-back year, leading the Los Angeles Angels to a season-opening 3-0 win over the Houston Astros on Thursday. Trout also walked three times and played center field for the first time since April 2024. The three-time MVP played 130 games last season, his most since 2019 because of various injuries. Making his franchise-record 14th opening day start, the 34-year-old Trout broke a scoreless tie in the seventh inning when he sent a 96 mph fastball from reliever AJ Blubaugh (0-1) 403 feet onto the train tracks in left-center. It was his fifth opening day homer, also a club record. The Angels snapped an eight-game road losing streak in season openers, starting 1-0 on the road for the first time since 2013. Oswald Peraza hit an RBI single in the eighth and Nolan Schanuel homered in the ninth. Jos Soriano (1-0) allowed two hits and four walks in six innings while striking out seven. Four relievers completed the three-hitter, with Jordan Romano working the ninth to earn the save in his Angels debut. Hunter Brown started for Houston and allowed four hits and four walks in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out nine. The Astros went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position while stranding nine runners. Houston designated hitter Yordan Alvarez may have been robbed of a home run in the first inning because the retractable roof at Daikin Park was closed. Alvarez hit a towering shot toward the right field foul pole, but it ricocheted off a horizontal rafter and landed in foul territory. It was ruled a foul ball. The Astros challenged, and the call was upheld after a review. Alvarez later struck out swinging.

Up next The teams resume the four-game series on Friday, with lefty Yusei Kikuchi starting for Los Angeles opposite right-hander Mike Burrows. ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb