After scoring four runs on just one hit in the ninth inning to pull out the series opener on Monday, the Houston Astros will turn to right-hander Peter Lambert to try to clinch their three-game set against the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night in Anaheim, Calif.

Lambert (8-5, 3.03 ERA) has been a pleasant surprise for Houston manager Joe Espada’s squad.

The former second-round pick of the Colorado Rockies spent the 2025 season playing for the Yakult Swallows in Japan and was a non-roster invitee for the Astros in spring training. He spent the first three weeks of the season at Triple-A Sugar Land, where he made some tweaks to his delivery, and then he was called up after Houston’s starting staff was hit with a rash of injuries.

All Lambert has done since then is win a team-leading eight games, allowing two runs or less in nine of his past 10 starts.

“There’s always someone, one pitcher, that gets an opportunity and just runs with it,” Espada told The Athletic. “Peter’s been that guy for us. He’s stepped up. He’s been our ace, and he doesn’t back down from a challenge.”

Lambert is 0-0 with a 1.86 ERA in three career appearances (one start) against the Angels. He picked up a no-decision in a June 10 start at Angel Stadium when he allowed two runs on five hits and struck out six over 6 1/3 innings in a 3-2 loss in 10 innings.

Lambert is 2-0 with a 1.52 ERA in four starts in July. He has struck out 26 batters in 23 2/3 innings.

Left-hander Reid Detmers (3-7, 4.05 ERA), rumored to be on the trading block heading into the upcoming Monday trade deadline, could make perhaps his last start with the Angels.

Detmers is 1-4 with a 6.83 ERA in 14 career appearances (11 starts) against the Astros. He’s made two starts against them this season but hasn’t figured in the decision in either game, allowing a combined four earned runs on seven hits in 11 2/3 innings, with 18 strikeouts.

The teams split those two games.

Houston moved into second place in the American League West with the come-from-behind win Monday and trails the Texas Rangers by two games. The Astros also closed to within 1 1/2 games of the AL’s final wild-card spot.

Houston parlayed two Los Angeles errors, two hit batters, two walks and a Christian Walker single into four runs in the ninth inning to post a 6-4 victory on Monday.

Isaac Paredes was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make the score 4-4, and LaMonte Wade Jr. followed with a walk to force in the game-winning run. Three of the four runs were unearned after second baseman Vaughn Grissom, who homered and had three hits, let Lucas Spence’s potential double-play grounder go through his legs for an error.

“Obviously a tough way to lose,” Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said. “Definitely a tough one tonight, tough way to lose, just couldn’t make the plays. … Sometimes stuff like this happens. You’ve got to pick your head up. You’ve got to move forward. You’ve got to prepare again tomorrow and come back ready to play.”

A win Tuesday would move Houston to within one game of the .500 mark for the first time since April 10.

“Just proud of the effort, man,” Espada said. “We’re grinding through this. Tip my hat to those guys in there. They really love playing with each other, and they find way to win games, and that’s what good teams do.’

–Field Level Media

The Los Angeles Dodgers return home for the first time since before the All-Star break and are planning to welcome back reinforcements for a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners.

When the series opens Tuesday, Dodgers utility man Enrique Hernandez is expected to be activated from the injured list. On Wednesday, closer Edwin Diaz is expected to make his return.

Hernandez has played just two games this season because of elbow surgery and a more recent oblique injury, leaving his versatility on defense and his ability to hit left-handed pitching out of the mix.

Diaz was signed in the offseason to be the team’s first dedicated closer since the days of Kenley Jansen, but he struggled through seven appearances early in the season before undergoing a procedure for loose bodies in his elbow.

Also close to a return is left-hander Blake Snell, who underwent his own elbow procedure. Right-hander Tyler Glasnow and catcher Will Smith are in line for returns later this season.

Despite so many talented players being out of action, the Dodgers head into the series with MLB’s best record at 67-39 following a 6-3 road trip against both New York teams, as well as the Philadelphia Phillies. Also thrown into the mix was the All-Star Game and a visit to the White House to celebrate the team’s 2025 World Series championship.

“It (was) a long trip, a lot of moving pieces, variables going on, losing off days,” said Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, who was one of the team’s six All-Stars.

“I thought we played really good baseball all road trip. I am looking forward to going home.”

Los Angeles reportedly will send left-hander Eric Lauer (5-5, 4.83 ERA) to the mound. He is 2-0 with a 1.46 ERA in two career appearances (one start) against the Mariners.

Seattle will counter with right-hander Luis Castillo (3-9, 4.85), who lost his third consecutive game when he gave up three runs on four hits last Tuesday against the Cincinnati Reds in a 4-3 loss. He did throw a season-best seven innings on 101 pitches.

In five career starts against the Dodgers, Castillo is 3-0 with a 2.83 ERA.

The Mariners arrive in Los Angeles fresh off a rough road series against the Texas Rangers that was billed as a battle for first place in the American League West. Seattle trailed by just a half game when the series started and now sits 2 1/2 games back after losing three of four at Texas.

“We had different aspirations coming in here and it didn’t turn out that way,” manager Dan Wilson said after the Mariners’ 7-3 loss on Monday. “And we’ve got to turn it up.”

It was yet another tepid showing from one of the worst offenses in the major leagues. The Mariners have a collective batting average of .230 that is tied for last in the majors, while their .377 slugging percentage is next to last.

Assistant hitting coach Bobby Magallanes became the fall guy for the woes when he was fired last week.

“It’s just never really felt like we were all moving in the same direction, and it shows on the field,” Seattle president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto told reporters. “It shows in our results, and I hate that this (falls) on Bobby.”

–Field Level Media

A pair of young right-handers attempting to complete an unbeaten month of July will go head-to-head Tuesday night when Logan Henderson and the Milwaukee Brewers take on Landen Roupp and the host San Francisco Giants in the continuation of a three-game series.

The Giants opened the set with a 3-0 victory Monday, getting brilliant pitching from Tyler Mahle and a two-run homer from Grant McCray.

Roupp (7-8, 3.93 ERA) will attempt to successfully follow in Mahle’s footsteps as he looks to continue the form that led to a fast start this season before a two-month slump.

The 27-year-old began the season 5-1 through the end of April, but then started 11 consecutive losses, seven of which went on his record, in May and June.

The third-year major-leaguer has regained his winning form in July, however, going 2-0 with wins against the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners. He took a no-decision against the Kansas City Royals in a 5-4 win last Wednesday. He has allowed just three runs and nine hits in 21 innings.

Roupp’s earlier skid reached its greatest depth when he suffered through his worst outing of the season in a 16-2 loss at Milwaukee on June 1, charged with eight runs in four innings. The loss ran his career record against the Brewers to 0-2 with a 7.16 ERA in five games, including three starts.

Jackson Chourio’s two-run double and Brice Turang’s two-RBI triple, hit consecutively, were the big blows against Roupp in the earlier head-to-head in Milwaukee.

Henderson (4-1, 3.05) has had a similar month. Like Roupp, he is 2-0 with a no-decision in July. The Brewers have won all three Henderson starts, games against the St. Louis Cardinals, Miami Marlins and New York Mets.

In just his second major-league season, the 24-year-old Henderson went winless in his first three starts in 2026 before going unbeaten in his past five. He has allowed just six runs and 11 hits in 15 1/3 innings in July.

His July starts followed almost a six-week layoff due to back soreness. But he watched closely, especially the games of hard-throwing staff ace Jacob Misiorowski, who clearly inspires him.

“It never gets old, and he’s taking it up a notch every start,” Henderson told reporters recently. “I feel privileged to have a front-row seat every game.”

Henderson never has faced the Giants.

One player Henderson definitely won’t see will be Giants slugger Casey Schmitt, who strained his right knee rounding first base after a hit in the second inning of the opener and had to be removed from the game.

The Giants announced after the game that Schmitt, whose hit raised his average to .271, would undergo an MRI on Tuesday.

San Francisco manager Tony Vitello said after the game that he feared Schmitt could miss “significant” time.

“He’s a little bummed out. He loves to play every day,” Vitello told reporters after the win. “Scary moment for him. He was really struggling just to move around. Heart’s got to go out to him and you hope for the best.”

– Field Level Media