HOUSTON (AP) — Mike Trout, Josh Lowe and Zach Neto hit home runs and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Houston Astros 6-2 on Friday night.
In his second game with the Angels, Lowe broke a 1-1 tie in the second when he sent a first pitch fastball from Mike Burrows into the Crawford Boxes for a three-run homer. Lowe was acquired by the Angels in a trade from the Tampa Bay Rays on Jan. 16.
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Houston Astros' Jose Altuve (27) steals second base ahead of a throw to Los Angeles Angels second baseman Oswald Peraza (2) during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Houston, Friday, March 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Houston Astros' Yordan Alvarez breaks a bat during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Houston, Friday, March 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Los Angeles Angels catcher Logan O'Hoppe (14) celebrates with center fielder Mike Trout (27) after winning a baseball game against the Houston Astros in Houston, Friday, March 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Los Angeles Angels' Zach Neto hits a home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros in Houston, Friday, March 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Trout’s fifth inning solo home run was part of a three-hit game, and it marks the first time in his 16-year major league career that he’s gone deep in his first two games of a season.
Neto added a solo shot leading off the ninth inning for his second extra base hit of the night.
The long balls were in support of an Angels staff led by Yusei Kikuchi, who allowed two runs on eight hits over 4 1/3 innings. The bullpen quartet of Chase Silseth, Ryan Zeferjahn (1-0), Sam Bachman and Jordan Romano combined for 4 2/3 scoreless innings.
Burrows (0-1), who was making his Astros debut after he was traded from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Dec. 19, surrendered five runs on nine hits over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out six.
Yordan Alvarez hit a home run for the Astros, while Carlos Correa went 2 for 3 with a walk.
Jeremy Peña, who missed Thursday’s season opener, had two hits, a stolen base and scored a run.
The Astros have started 0-2 for the second time in three seasons under manager Joe Espada.
Astros RHP Cristian Javier faces Angels LHP Reid Detmers when the series continues Saturday.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
Houston Astros' Jose Altuve (27) steals second base ahead of a throw to Los Angeles Angels second baseman Oswald Peraza (2) during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Houston, Friday, March 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Houston Astros' Yordan Alvarez breaks a bat during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Houston, Friday, March 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Los Angeles Angels catcher Logan O'Hoppe (14) celebrates with center fielder Mike Trout (27) after winning a baseball game against the Houston Astros in Houston, Friday, March 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Los Angeles Angels' Zach Neto hits a home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros in Houston, Friday, March 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
CHICAGO (AP) — Yaxel Lendeborg had 23 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in a dazzling all-around performance, and Michigan beat Alabama 90-77 on Friday night to advance to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five years.
Trey McKenney and Elliot Cadeau each scored 17 points as top-seeded Michigan set a school record with its 34th win of the season. Roddy Gayle Jr. finished with 16 points.
Led by McKenney and Gayle, the Wolverines (34-3) enjoyed a 33-6 advantage in bench points. But the versatile Lendeborg was the star of the show as his team grabbed control in the second half.
Next up for the Wolverines is Sunday's Midwest Region final against the winner of Tennessee-Iowa State.
“Overwhelmed with joy. This is pretty much a dream come true,” Lendeborg said.
Labaron Philon Jr. scored 35 points for fourth-seeded Alabama, which reached the Elite Eight each of the previous two years. Latrell Wrightsell Jr. had 15 points.
Alabama (25-10) was once again without star guard Aden Holloway, who missed the school's tournament run after he was suspended indefinitely following a March 16 arrest on felony drug charges.
Even without Holloway, the Crimson Tide stayed right with the Wolverines for much of the up-tempo matchup of two of the tournament's highest scoring teams. But everything changed when Lendeborg, the Big Ten player of the year, started to assert himself at the beginning of the second half.
“I mean, you got Yax playing like that, just the kind of competitiveness he had today, like, I think he’s the best player in the country without a doubt,” Gayle said. “He’s like that, we’re the best team.”
Lendeborg stepped in front of an Alabama pass along the baseline and threw the ball ahead to Nimari Burnett for a fast-break dunk that gave Michigan a 54-51 lead with 17:04 left.
The 6-foot-9 Lendeborg then made a 3 and converted a driving layup to make it 62-54 with 14:50 remaining. Two foul shots by McKenney made it 75-60 with 9:22 to go, and it was too much for Alabama to overcome.
“Once we started slowing the game down, being a lot more physical and trying to dominate the paint, we started finding more success,” Lendeborg said. “Our defense started coming alive, and that really helped us out. It helped our confidence.”
It was a sweet moment for Lendeborg, who was hoping for more interest from Alabama when he entered the transfer portal last year after two seasons at UAB. He ended up at Michigan, and the arrangement is working quite well for the forward and his team.
Michigan coach Dusty May also got a win against Alabama’s Nate Oats, a longtime friend from the beginning of their coaching journeys.
“We were down on ourselves, and we came in, and we regrouped, and our guys had a different level of focus and intensity in the second half,” May said.
Right from the start, Michigan and Alabama pushed the ball up the court whenever possible. The final few seconds of the shot clock were seldom seen as the teams took aim from long range or attacked the rim shortly after gaining possession.
Gayle’s jumper started a 14-3 run for Michigan that made it 47-41 with 1:58 left in the first half. But Philon responded with eight straight points, including two foul shots that gave Alabama a 49-47 lead at the break.
The teams combined for 74 shots in the first half alone, including 39 attempts from behind the arc. The Crimson Tide went 9 for 24 from 3-point range, and the Wolverines went 8 for 15.
AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg celebrates after making a 3-point basket during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament against Alabama, Friday, March 27, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
