HOUSTON (Interstat) — On a cool March evening at Daikin Park, the Los Angeles Angels methodically broke down a dominant starting pitching performance by the Houston Astros, scoring single runs in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings to secure a 3-0 victory on Opening Day.

A crowd of 41,329 watched as the Angels, projected as underdogs by statistical models, grinded out nine hits and capitalized on late opportunities to hand the Astros a shutout loss to begin the 2026 season.

The story for much of the afternoon was Houston starter Hunter Brown, who was brilliant over 4 2/3 scoreless innings. He allowed just four hits and, most strikingly, struck out nine Angels batters, repeatedly working out of trouble. The Angels put multiple runners on base in the second and fourth innings against Brown but came up empty, stranding five runners in that span.

Los Angeles starter José Soriano matched Brown’s zeroes, albeit with less command. Soriano navigated through constant traffic, walking five Astros over six innings. His biggest escape came in the third inning, when he loaded the bases with two outs via a walk and two intentional passes before getting Carlos Correa to line out to left field. Soriano scattered three hits and struck out four to earn the win.

The stalemate was finally broken in the top of the seventh inning against reliever AJ Blubaugh. With one out, Mike Trout launched a solo home run to left field, the future Hall of Famer’s first of the season, to give the Angels a 1-0 lead. It was the game’s first run and shifted the pressure squarely onto Houston’s quiet offense.

The Angels added a critical insurance run in the eighth. Jo Adell was hit by a pitch, and Logan O’Hoppe singled with two outs to keep the inning alive. Oswald Peraza then delivered a soft line drive single to left field, scoring Adell to extend the lead to 2-0.

Houston’s best chance to answer came immediately in the bottom of the seventh. Christian Walker led off with a double against reliever José Soriano, putting the tying run in scoring position with no outs. The Angels’ bullpen and defense stiffened. Yainer Diaz struck out, Jake Meyers grounded out, and after a walk to Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez grounded out to second to end the threat, stranding two runners.

Any lingering doubt was erased in the top of the ninth when Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel connected for a solo home run to right field off Christian Roa, providing a 3-0 cushion.

Jordan Romano entered in the bottom of the ninth to close it for Los Angeles. He allowed a two-out walk but promptly induced a flyout from Jake Meyers to secure the save and seal the victory.

The most important part of the game was the Angels’ relentless late-game execution against Houston’s bullpen, contrasted with the Astros’ complete failure in clutch situations. After Hunter Brown’s masterful start, the Angels chipped away, scoring in three consecutive innings. The pivotal sequence, however, was the bottom of the seventh. Houston, down only 1-0, had the heart of its order coming up with the tying run on second and no outs. The inability to even advance Walker to third base, culminating in Alvarez’s inning-ending groundout with two men on, snuffed out Houston’s best and only serious rally of the night. That missed opportunity demoralized the home side and allowed the Angels to calmly add on, turning a narrow lead into a comfortable win.

Offensively, the Astros managed only three hits and went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position, leaving eight men on base. Joey Loperfido had two of Houston’s hits, including a double. For the Angels, Adell, O’Hoppe and Moncada each had two hits.

With the win, the Angels begin the season 1-0, while the Astros start 0-1. The two teams continue their four-game series Friday afternoon in Houston.

According to Interstat, the game simulator had projected a 2-1 Angels victory, though its ELO system gave Houston a 59.8% chance to win. The Astros were pregame favorites with a spread of -1.5. The total of three runs went well under the over/under line of 8.5.

The Angels will remain in Houston for games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday before traveling to face the Chicago Cubs for a three-game series starting Monday. The Astros host the Angels for three more before welcoming the Boston Red Sox for a three-game set next week.