Angels make Astros pay for intentionally walking Anthony Rendon with walk-off (Video)

The Astros intentionally walked Anthony Rendon to get to Michael Hermosillo. That was a mistake

Despite the Angels bullpen faltering yet again on Saturday night, letting the Astros back in the game thanks to a two-run shot by George Springer, Los Angeles was able to overcome that fault to the tune of a walk-off victory in the bottom of the tenth inning.

With two runners on, the Astros opted to intentionally walk Anthony Rendon. Given Rendon’s reputation around baseball, that decision is not entirely surprising, and Dusty Baker was willing to live with the consequences.

Hermosillo, however, took that personally, and drove in the game-winning run on a sacrifice.

Hermosillo’s drive into right field was just enough to bring home the winning run

Matt Thaiss scored the winning run, in part thanks to a dreadful throw up the line from the right fielder, which didn’t come close to challenging the runner at the plate. The win was just the Angels third of the year, but they’re getting reinforcements soon with Mike Trout expected to rejoin the team shortly after his wife gave birth to their daughter over the weekend.

If there were ever a season for the Angels to finally take advantage of having the best player in baseball under contract, it’s this one, with the level of unpredictability that comes with a 60-game slate. LAA’s pitching is still suspect to say the least, but with Joe Maddon at the helm and Rendon and Trout in the lineup, there are no more excuses.