Angels drop series to Houston Astros after bullpen blows lead in the ninth

There were no final-at-bat heroics for the Angels on Sunday.

Kyle Tucker hit a solo home run in the ninth, then ended the game on a spectacular, diving catch in a 9-8 victory over an Angels squad that has lost 11 of its last 13 games.

Shohei Ohtani hit his 34th home run of the season in the ninth to make it a one-run game, but it wasn’t enough after the Angels’ bullpen squandered a 7-3 lead.

Angels starter Tyler Anderson struggled, needing 35 pitches to get through the first inning. The Astros (52-42) got on the board when Tucker hit an RBI single. Anderson’s game was over after the third inning, but not before he got out of a bases-loaded jam. Anderson gave up five hits, one run, walked two and struck out five over 85 pitches.

Anderson’s exit prompted Jose Soriano, Zack Weiss, Jacob Webb, Carlos Estévez and Jaime Barría to pull the Angels the rest of the way.

Webb and Estevez gave up three home runs between the seventh and eighth innings. Barria gave up home runs to Alex Bregman and Tucker in the ninth to send the Angels (46-48) to a series loss.

The Angels broke a 3-3 tie with a four-run seventh. Trey Cabbage, who went three for three in his first major-league start, hit a single, then was subbed for pinch-runner Andrew Velazquez, who scored on a double by Zach Neto.

Astros reliever Joel Kuhnel walked Ohtani, then hit Mickey Moniak to load the bases. Taylor Ward followed with a bases-clearing double.