Angels beat Astros in walk-off fashion, 2-1

What matters is how they end, not all that messy stuff leading up to the finale. The Angels love dramatic endings and were at it again on a wet Saturday night.

The Angels had been searching for an offense all night, managing only two hits through seven innings and scraping to keep things tight with the Astros.

And none of it mattered. All mere prelude to a walk-off 2-1 victory they carved out in the bottom of the ninth inning that left the Angels celebrating.

“It’s not how you start, but how you finish,” said outfielder Kole Calhoun.

Calhoun led off the bottom of the ninth with a walk against reliever Chris Devenski, who had walked only two in his previous 191/3 innings.

Calhoun was singled to third by Albert Pujols. One out later, with the infield playing up, Andrelton Simmons hit a high bouncer to shortstop Carlos Correa. Calhoun broke for home as soon as he saw the ball hit the ground.

“I saw it was a chopper and knew I had a shot, so I’m just hauling butt,” Calhoun said.

Correa had to wait for it finally to come down, and by then his throw home was too late to get the sliding Calhoun.

Simmons was credited with an infield hit and this time it was the Angels’ turn to squeak out the one-run win.

It was the Angels’ fourth walk-off win of the season, best in the majors.

“It would be nice if we blew a couple teams out, but this team doesn’t quit,” Calhoun said. “Any time we’ve been down, it seems like we find a way to get back in it.

“Tonight that’s all on the pitching staff. Give up one in the first, and then put up zeroes the rest of the night. They’re just waiting for us to score a run.”

JC Ramirez started for the Angels, gave up a first-inning run on doubles to Correa and Carlos Beltran, and then supported by three key double plays, held the Astros scoreless the next five innings.

“I kind of battled today,” Ramirez said. “I didn’t have my slider so they were waiting for me to throw a strike.”

The Angels learned just before game time they would have to go without Mike Trout, sidelined again by a tight left hamstring. They called it a precautionary move.

“We’ll see how he feels tomorrow,” said Angels manager Mike Scioscia.

The offense figured to take a hit without him, but the Angels probably did not anticipate to what extent. Through seven innings against Houston’s Lance McCullers they managed two Luis Valbuena singles.

The Angels got the run back in the second inning against McCullers. Valbuena led off the bottom of the inning with a basehit.

Running on the pitch, Valbuena advanced to second when Simmons bounced out to short, took third on a passed ball charged to catcher Brian McCann and scored on a Cameron Maybin groundout.

Ramirez skirted trouble the rest of the night.

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