Syndergaard bests Verlander in returns, Halos top Astros 2-0 April 10 sharefacebooktwitterredditlink ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) Noah Syndergaard pitched two-hit ball into the sixth inning in a strong Angels debut, narrowly outdueling fellow Tommy John surgery returnee Justin Verlander in Los Angeles' 2-0 victory over the Houston Astros on Saturday night.Mike Trout and Jared Walsh homered in the Angels' first victory of the season. The Halos held defending AL champion Houston to two hits, with Raisel Iglesias' save capping 3 2/3 hitle s innings from the bullpen.Syndergaard Kent Hrbek Jersey (1-0) and Verlander (0-1) both are back this season from lengthy absences after elbow surgery, and both veterans performed impre sively at Angel Stadium.Syndergaard yielded two weak singles and two walks over 5 1/3 innings. While the imposing right-hander known as Thor had just one strikeout, he induced 11 groundouts from the Astros' powerful lineup.Verlander pitched five innings of one-run ball, giving up three hits including Walsh's homer and three walks while escaping several spots of trouble. He struck out seven, including AL MVP Shohei Ohtani twice.Trout's first homer since May 4 was a beauty, traveling 445 feet off a 98.8-mph fastball the fastest pitch Trout has ever hit out of the yard from Ryne Stanek. The three-time AL MVP mi sed the final 4 1/2 months of last season with a calf injury.Syndergaard was limited to two one-inning appearances both late last year for the Mets over the past two seasons while working his way back from surgery. He signed a one-year, $21 million deal with Los Glen Perkins Jersey Angeles and emerged from spring training with a healthy arm and a determination to show he's back.Verlander had surgery in September 2020 and mi sed last season while recovering. Now 39, the two-time AL Cy Young winner feels he's capable of resuming his career at his customary elite level, and his return start looked promising Minnesota Twins Custom Jersey .Walsh mashed Verlanders first pitch of the second inning to deep center for the Angels first homer of the season.Verlander struck out Ohtani twice with inside pitches that painted the black, although both calls displeased the AL MVP. Verlander celebrated with a subtle fist-pump after he escaped a fifth-inning jam by fanning Ohtani and then retiring Trout on a flyout to strand two Angels.FOR NICKSyndergaard is wearing No. 34 again for the Angels, as he did in New York, but it has a special meaning in Anaheim.It's also the number worn by Nick Adenhart, the promising Angels starter killed by a drunk driver a few hours after throwing six shutout innings at the Big A exactly 13 years ago Saturday. Syndergaard got the ble sing of Adenhart's family to wear the number, which hadn't been worn by an Angels player since.TRAINER'S ROOMAngels SS David Fletcher and Astros 3B Alex Bregman didn't start to rest. Fletcher flied out as a pinch-hitter in the seventh, and Bregman popped out in the ninth. ... Astros RHP Lance McCullers Jr. could start throwing next week, manager Dusty Baker said. McCullers' flexor tendon i sue kept him out of spring training.UP NEXTAngels LHP Jos Suarez makes his season debut in the series finale against Houston's Jos Urquidy. Both pitchers won eight games while breaking through as full-time starters last season.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_ Tony Oliva Jersey Sports in this topic American League Los Angeles Angels Justin Verlander Major League Baseball Noah Syndergaard Houston Astros Lance McCullers Jr. Raisel Iglesias David Fletcher Jared Walsh Alex Bregman Shohei Ohtani Noah Syndergaard Justin Verlander Mike Trout Houston Astros Los Angeles Angels share Mbapp is bringing soccer to a new dimension at World Cup Cristiano Ronaldos precision 8 MINS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Poland finds its true level at World Cup, beaten by the best Poland heads home from the World Cup as the latest team unable to resist an inspired Kylian Mbapp 8 MINS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS World Cup fans find booze at hotels, Qatar's 1 liquor store Qatar's strict rules regarding alcohol have drawn attention as it hosts the World Cup 2 HOURS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Sterling leaves England World Cup camp after home break-in England forward Raheem Sterling has left his teams World Cup camp in Justin Morneau Jersey Qatar and returned to the U.K. after a break-in at his home 2 HOURS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS Ronaldo looks to shine like Mbapp and Me si at World Cup Cristiano Ronaldo has been overshadowed by the brilliance of Lionel Me si and Kylian Mbapp so far at the World Cup 2 HOURS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS