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Decision not to challenge costs Angels in loss to Astros

March 29, 2026

Angels’ Zach Neto celebrates as he runs the bases after hitting a home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros in Houston, Sunday, March 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

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HOUSTON — Now that we are in the era of the automated ball-strike system, the focus of questionable calls late in games will go from the umpires to players.

Angels catcher Logan O’Hoppe found himself in just such a spot in the eighth inning of a 9-7 loss to the Houston Astros on Sunday.

O’Hoppe caught a 2-and-2, two-out pitch from Drew Pomeranz to Isaac Paredes. It was called a ball, but pitch tracking showed that it nicked the bottom of the zone.

A tap of O’Hoppe’s helmet would have certainly overturned the call and ended the inning. Instead, Pomeranz threw another pitch, and Paredes ripped it into center field for a tie-breaking two-run double. The Astros added an insurance run on a José Altuve double.

In the ninth, the Angels got one run on and had the potential tying run on base with one out. The rally was extended when Mike Trout walked by twice, successfully challenging called strikes. The rally ended when Jorge Soler – who had earlier driven in three runs with a double – struck out. Yoán Moncada then struck out to end it.

The Angels (2-2) ended up dropping the last two games of the season-opening four-game series against the Astros, even though they had leads in all four.

On Sunday, they fell behind 4-0 in the second but quickly jumped back into the game with four runs in the third.

Zach Neto and Nolan Schanuel drew walks, sandwiched around a Mike Trout single, and then Soler yanked a three-run double down the left field line. An out later, Jo Adell knocked in Soler with a single.

The Angels took the lead an inning later, on Neto’s two-run homer. Neto had only three hits in the season-opening four-game series, but they were two homers and a double. He also drew five walks.

Neto’s homer actually gave Jack Kochanowicz a chance at a victory after a shaky start.

Kochanowicz seemed out of sorts from the beginning.

In the first inning, he stumbled on a delivery to Yordan Alvarez and didn’t release the pitch, which was a pitch timer violation and a ball, resulting in a walk.

In the second, Kochanowicz lost footing with his plant foot as he delivered a 2-and-1 pitch to Cam Smith. That pitch was a ball, and then he walked him on the next pitch.

After a visit from pitching coach Mike Maddux, Kochanowicz gave up a two-run single. Two more runs scored in the inning on a hit, a walk and an error by third baseman Yoán Moncada, putting the Angels down 4-0.

They got back into the game and Kochanowicz righted himself for a couple innings, finally coming out after allowing the first two hitters of the fifth to reach. Both runs came around to score on a double against Chase Silseth.

Right-hander Sam Bachman kept the game tied by pitching two scoreless innings, with the help of inning-ending diving catches from left fielder Josh Lowe in the sixth and Neto in the seventh.

More to come on this story.

Decision not to challenge costs Angels in loss to Astros Orange County Register

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Decision not to challenge costs Angels in loss to Astros

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