ANAHEIM, Calif._Angels left-hander Jose Suarez knew the instant his letters-high fastball made contact with Jose Altuve's bat that he was toast. The pitch sailed straight, failing to drop out of Altuve's hot zone. Altuve barreled it, the sound of impact piercing the air at Angel Stadium.
Suarez finished his release and growled.
Altuve's home run and the sixth-pitch walk that preceded it were the only asterisks attached to an otherwise encouraging performance from the 21-year-old Suarez in the Angels' 6-3 loss to the Houston Astros on Saturday night.
For the first five innings, Suarez looked nothing like the rookie who had been pummeled in nearly every start he made this season.
"That's as good as Suarez pitched all year," manager Brad Ausmus said.
Suarez gave up only three hits, the fewest he had given up in an outing that lasted more than four innings.
The last hit was crushing. As Altuve trotted around the bases, Suarez stood on the mound with his gaze trained on the dirt. It was the 23rd time in only 81 innings that he had watched an opponent put a baseball over the fence. He didn't need another visual.
Somewhere along the way, Suarez lost touch with what helped him rocket through the minor leagues a season ago. Tweaks suggested by first-year pitching coach Doug White confounded him. Suarez struggled to assimilate at the major league level, leading to a 7.11 earned-run average with which he departed the 19th and final appearance of his rookie season.
It wasn't until last Sunday in Houston, when he gave up one run in two innings of relief, that Suarez felt comfortable on the mound again.
He was able to carry that feeling over to Saturday. He coasted through the Astros' robust lineup, which entered the evening with the major leagues' best on-base-plus-slugging percentage (.847) and lowest amount of strikeouts (1,550), and retired the nine batters he faced in the first three innings. He collected four strikeouts along the way, dazzling the Astros with pinpoint command of his low-90s fastball.
Even after Altuve broke up the no-hit bid with a one-out single in the fourth inning, Suarez remained in control. He stranded Altuve, and stranded two the next inning.
It was only when Ausmus slackened his rope and allowed Suarez to face the top of the Astros lineup a third time that Suarez lost his edge.
Reliever Luke Bard (3-3), who had retired 23 batters in a row over five appearances since Sept. 13, gave up a three-run home run soon after.
The Angels offense mustered nothing to pick up Bard. They were held to one hit after the fourth inning.
