Astros Made History in Wildest Ninth Inning Comeback Win of the Season over Angels

Any Houston Astros fans who went to sleep early on Monday night missed out on one of the most insane and honestly, amusing comebacks that has ever been seen. The Astros were down 4-0 in the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Angels, and somehow came back and won 6-4 to take the first game of the three-game-set in Anaheim.

It was all thanks to a four-run top of the ninth inning that came on just one hit and sent 10 men to the plate. Yes, you read that right. One hit, a passed ball, two hit by pitch, two fielder’s choices, and two errors by the Angels, as the Astros batted around. My goodness. That ninth inning will be remembered for quite some time, at least in Houston.

While many will believe that the Angels simply handed the Astros the game on a golden platter, it took some big moments and gutsy performances from both the offense and pitching to pull out one of the most improbable comebacks of the season. This was ninth loss of the season for the Angels when leading after eight innings.

The game started out in the worst way possible, as starter Tatsuya Imai exited after recording just two outs total. This was the fourth time this season Imai could not get through the first inning, which is of big concern. However, that was long forgotten after the night was through.

Let's break down that unbelievable ninth inning comeback for the Astros.

A Rally to Remember

The @Astros score 4 runs in the 9th to take the win! pic.twitter.com/ZcibH7eRrF
— MLB (@MLB) July 28, 2026

The Astros seemed destined to lose for most of this game.

There were multiple stages to this comeback, and it all got started with a Taylor Trammell solo home run in the fourth inning to put the Astros on the board. That was the only offense of the game to speak of until the eighth. Jeremy Peña led off that inning with a double, and MVP favorite Yordan Alvarez drove him in with an RBI single.

That made it 4-2 entering the top of the ninth. What followed was a sequence of plays that may not ever happen again, unless you're the Angels with the worst record in the American League. Trammell led off the inning and got hit by a pitch on a slider from closer José Fermín.

Christian Walker came up to the plate and got the only hit of the inning with a single up the middle. Trammell got to third after a passed ball during Walker's at-bat. Now came the biggest mistake of them all from the Angels.

Rookie center fielder Lucas Spence came up to the plate and hit a groundball right to Angels second baseman Vaughn Grissom, who made a fielding error. The ball went right through him into the outfield. Spence was credited with an RBI fielder's choice as Trammell scored and Nick Allen who was pinch ran for Walker reached third.

Rookie making plays! pic.twitter.com/AupmakMaNt
— Houston Astros (@astros) July 28, 2026

That was a double play ball waiting to happen for Grissom, and he blew it. Hope dimmed for the Astros as Christian Vasquez got out on a bunt pop-up and Peña reached on a fielder's choice, but Allen was out at home plate.

The Angels decided to intentionally walk Alvarez, which loaded up the bases for Isaac Paredes. This was the Astros' last hope and Paredes kept battling in the count. It was a nine-pitch at-bat and Paredes eventually got hit by pitch on a slider from new Angels reliever Sam Bachman, which tied the game up at 4. A bases loaded hit by pitch did the trick.

Lamonte Wade Jr. came up to the plate next and drew a bases loaded walk on five pitches that remarkably gave the Astros their first lead of the game at 5-4. It only got worse for the Angels, as Bachman made a fielding error on a 3-foot ground ball from Jose Altuve, that scored another run with the bases loaded.

The @Astros rally for 4 runs in the 9th! pic.twitter.com/xTVjdFcqFm
— MLB (@MLB) July 28, 2026

The Astros now led 6-4, and closer Josh Hader was on for the bottom of the ninth. He got it done and the Astros avoided what would have been a dissapointing loss. History was made with that wild top of the ninth.

The Astros scored 4 in the 9th to beat the Angels & in the process made Baseball history per Kevin Eschenfelder on @SpaceCityHN: “1st time in the live ball era, which started in 1920, that any team had 2+ walks, 2+ hit batters, 2 errors & fewer than 2 hits in any single inning.”
— Mark Berman (@MarkBerman_) July 28, 2026

It was thanks to Cristian Javier that the Astros were even in this position. He had his best outing in over two years with five scoreless innings in relief on 70 pitches (50 strikes) along with seven strikeouts. He gave up no walks and just three hits. He was the player of the game.

“He deserves a ton of credit. And our offense, these guys are resilient, they fight," manager Joe Espada said postgame.

Not only that, but AJ Blubaugh came in relief in the first inning and gave 2.1 innings. The Astros will now look to win the series having won six out of their last seven games.

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