George Klassen dominates for 7 innings as Angels beat Astros

Jeff Fletcher, The Orange County Register on Aug 18, 2026

Published in Baseball

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HOUSTON — George Klassen has come a long way since April, when he could barely throw the ball over the plate in his two nightmarish major league starts.

Since coming back to the big leagues this month, Klassen has gotten better each start, including seven scoreless innings in the Angels’ 3-1 victory over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night.

Klassen, 24, gave up one hit, with three walks and seven strikeouts.

He has a 1.59 ERA in three starts since returning to the majors, after posting an 11.57 ERA in those two April outings.

Klassen recorded five of his seven strikeouts with his slider, including one that whiffed presumptive American League MVP Yordan Alvarez in the first inning.

Klassen got into a jam in the first inning, when he issued a walk and then gave up a hit, putting runners at the corners. He then fell behind Daulton Varsho, 3-and-1.

Klassen got him swinging through two sliders to escape the jam.

After that, he cruised. Starting with the strikeout of Varsho, Klassen retired 19 out of 21 hitters, without allowing a hit. He mostly induced the Astros to put the ball in play and make quick outs. Klassen threw 20 pitches in the first inning, and then 66 over the next six innings.

The Angels’ defense supported him nicely, including a couple of good plays by third baseman Denzer Guzman and a spectacular play from shortstop Zach Neto. Alvarez hit a soft looper to the left of second base, with Neto shading up the middle. He went to his right to backhand the ball and then he made an off balance throw to get Alvarez.

The bullpen also got the job done, albeit in a surprising fashion.

Right-hander José Fermin started the eighth by allowing a homer and a single. With one out in the inning and the left-handed Alvarez coming to the plate as the potential tying run, Manager Kurt Suzuki didn’t go to his best lefty (Samy Natera Jr.) or his best reliever (Ben Joyce). He instead brought in right-hander Ryan Watson.

Watson struck out Alvarez and got Isaac Paredes on a fly out.

Joyce then worked the ninth to record the save, striking out two. He has not allowed a run in any of six outings since returning from shoulder surgery earlier this month.

Offensively, the Angels (50-76) had a steady stream of baserunners and they actually managed to drive a couple of them in with two-out hits.

In the third, Nolan Schanuel’s two-out single drove in Wade Meckler with the first run of the game.

Josh Lowe hit an opposite-field solo homer over the left-field fence in the fourth inning, his 10th homer of the season.

In the fifth, Schanuel singled with two outs and then Neto ripped the first pitch he saw off the left-field fence, driving in Schanuel to put the Angels ahead 3-0.