Paredes, Astros hand Angels first series loss of season

The Los Angeles Angels finally dropped their first series 15 games into the season, falling 7-3 to the Houston Astros in the rubber match on Sunday afternoon at Daikin Park. They are now 9-6 this year and 7-5 on the road.

Taylor Ward and Nolan Schanuel blasted solo home runs early for the Halos in the first and second innings, but a five-run second from the Astros propelled them in front, as they never looked back. Isaac Paredes hit a three-run homer, capping off a series in which he went deep in every single game.

Paredes and the rest of the Houston lineup made things tough on Kyle Hendricks, who took the bump for Los Angeles and allowed five earned runs in four innings of work. The right-hander walked three, allowed four hits and struck out just one as he took his first loss of the year to fall to 0-1.

All four of his hits allowed and two of his walks came in the second, where he allowed four of the first five hitters to reach as Mauricio Dubon and Cam Smith hit RBI singles. Hendricks retired Jose Altuve for the second out before Paredes stepped up and made it 5-2 Astros with his big homer.

The early bombs from Ward and Schanuel off of Housto right-hander Hayden Wesneski were the fifth and sixth home runs of the series for Los Angeles as the squad continues to rely on their power to carry the offense. The pair have now gone deep in back-to-back games. Jorge Soler blasted another solo shot in the sixth that made it 5-3, giving the Angels their 30th homer of the season.

That mark leads the major leagues, ahead of notorious high-octane lineups such as the Dodgers and Yankees, who are in second and third. The Halos boast four of the top six home run hitters in the American League (Ward, Logan O'Hoppe, Kyren Paris and Mike Trout), with Trout tied for the MLB lead at six.

Despite Soler's longball cutting the lead to two, Jeremy Peña would bring home another Houston run in the bottom of the sixth on a fielder's choice against Reid Detmers. Michael Darrell-Hicks, who pitched for the first time this season in the 14-3 loss on Friday, allowed another run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly to Altuve.

The Houston bullpen was much more effective on the other side of things, dealing three shutout innings behind Wesneski and compiling six strikeouts as they shut down the Los Angeles lineup late. Wesneski earned his first win of the year as a result, capping off an impressive day where he struck out ten and allowed three runs through the opening six innings.

Aside from the Angels' home run hitters on Sunday, it was an unfortunate showing at the dish. Trout finished 0-4 with three strikeouts, while Paris, Jo Adell and Luis Rengifo finished a combined 1-11 with five strikeouts.

Los Angeles will have the day off on Monday before returning to action Tuesday evening as they head to Texas for a three-game set with the Rangers. It's the third leg of a nine-game trip in which the Angels have gone 3-3 thus far.

First pitch is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. PT.