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Klassen’s Dominant Outing Powers Angels Past Astros

George Klassen pitched seven scoreless innings with seven strikeouts as the Los Angeles Angels defeated the Houston Astros 3-1 at Daikin Park on Wednesday.

Coralie Oakley

August 19, 20262 min read

baseball mound - illustration, Jake Team LLC
baseball mound - illustration, Jake Team LLC
MLBFinal
Los Angeles Angels3
Houston Astros1

August 19, 2026

Standout Performance

Los Angeles Angels rookie George Klassen delivered a masterclass in control and strikeout ability, pitching seven scoreless innings to lead his team to a 3-1 victory over the Houston Astros. Klassen (2-1) struck out seven batters while walking three, allowing just one hit throughout his outing.

His performance kept the Astros off the scoreboard for most of the game, providing the foundation for the Angels' offensive output.

Game Flow

The Angels took an early lead in the third inning when Meckler scored on a single to center field by Schanuel, who advanced to third base. The score became 1-0 Los Angeles. In the fourth inning, Lowe extended the Angels' advantage with a home run to left field, measuring 345 feet. This solo shot made it 2-0.

Los Angeles added another run in the fifth inning when Neto doubled to shortstop, driving in Schanuel to make the score 3-0. The Astros managed to get on the board in the eighth inning when Smith hit a home run to left field, 415 feet, cutting the deficit to 3-1.

Pitching Details

Klassen’s efficiency was key, retiring the side efficiently for seven innings. He was supported by the bullpen. Jose Fermin pitched 0.1 innings, allowing two hits and one earned run while striking out none.

Ryan Watson worked 0.2 innings, retiring the side in order with one strikeout. Ben Joyce closed the game with a perfect inning, striking out two batters without allowing a hit or walk to earn the save.

For Houston, Cristian Javier took the loss (1-4), pitching four innings and allowing five hits and two earned runs while striking out five. Bryan King pitched 0.2 innings, giving up one hit and one earned run with one strikeout. Enyel De Los Santos worked 1.1 innings, allowing one hit with no earned runs.

AJ Blubaugh pitched two innings, allowing one hit with no walks or strikeouts. Miguel Ullola closed out the Astros' effort with one inning of work, striking out two batters without allowing a hit.

Final Details

The game was played at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas, with an attendance of 22,767. The victory improves the Los Angeles Angels' record to 50-76. The loss drops the Houston Astros to 63-63.

Sources

https://www.espn.com/mlb/game/_/gameId/401816579

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Coralie Oakley

Coralie Oakley covers Denton high school and area college sports.

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