OC Register: Tyler Skaggs pitches Angels past Gerrit Cole, Astros

[AngelsWin.com]

• Los Angeles Angels’ Kole Calhoun, right, hits an RBI-single during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros, Monday, April 23, 2018, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

• HOUSTON, TX – APRIL 23: Luis Valbuena #18 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim points down to Kole Calhoun #56 after he scored on a single in the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on April 23, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

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• The Astros’ Jose Altuve singles during the third inning of Monday’s game against the Angels in Houston. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

• Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Tyler Skaggs delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros, Monday, April 23, 2018, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

• Houston Astros starting pitcher Gerrit Cole delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Monday, April 23, 2018, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

• The Angels’ Albert Pujols lines out to Astros second baseman Jose Altuve in the second inning of Monday’s game at Minute Maid Park in Houston. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

• The Angels’ Albert Pujols lines out to Astros second baseman Jose Altuve in the second inning of Monday’s game at Minute Maid Park in Houston. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

• Houston Astros’ Carlos Correa, left, slides safely into second for a double as Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zack Cozart, right, fields the ball during the first inning of a baseball game, Monday, April 23, 2018, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

• Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman throws out Los Angeles Angels’ Zack Cozart to end the top of then second inning of a baseball game, Monday, April 23, 2018, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

• Houston Astros’ Jose Altuve watches his shallow fly ball fall for a single during the third inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Monday, April 23, 2018, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

• Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, left, forces out Los Angeles Angels’ Kole Calhoun (56) while turning a double play during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Monday, April 23, 2018, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout (27) celebrates scoring a run on Justin Upton’s double with Albert Pujols during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros, Monday, April 23, 2018, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

• Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Tyler Skaggs delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros, Monday, April 23, 2018, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

• HOUSTON, TX – APRIL 23: Gerrit Cole #45 of the Houston Astros pitches in the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Minute Maid Park on April 23, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

• The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani looks on from the dugout during Monday’s game against the Astros at Minute Maid Park in Houston. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

• Angels first baseman Albert Pujols, left, catches the foul ball of Houston Astros’ Alex Bregman during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Monday, April 23, 2018, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

• Angels starting pitcher Tyler Skaggs pumps his fist after Houston Astros’ Evan Gattis fouled out to end the seventh inning of a baseball game, Monday, April 23, 2018, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

• Angels starting pitcher Tyler Skaggs, right, fist bumps catcher Martin Maldonado before being removed from the game during the eighth inning against the Houston Astros, Monday, April 23, 2018, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

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HOUSTON — In case anyone forgot, Tyler Skaggs was once one of the game’s better pitching prospects.

Years of injuries and inconsistency later, that fact might have been lost on even some of the most optimistic Angels fans.

Skaggs, though, provided a reminder with a brilliant seven innings in the Angels’ 2-0 victory over the Houston Astros on Monday night, a much-needed performance after losing five of their previous six.

In their first meeting of the season against the defending World Series champions, a team that is still widely considered to be the best in the sport, the Angels came to Minute Maid Park and squeaked out a victory on the strength of Skaggs’ left arm.

The difference between this Skaggs and the one who had been so enigmatic was the changeup, a pitch that Skaggs vowed to make a more prominent part of his repertoire this spring.

Skaggs threw 21 changeups – his most since 2016 – among his 102 pitches. The Astros went hitless in eight at-bats when they put them in play, including a double play. He also recorded one of his three strikeouts on a change.

To put that another way, the Astros made 10 outs on Skaggs’ 21 changeups.

The biggest of the game might have been in the first inning. The Astros were threatening, with runners on first and second and Alex Bregman at the plate. Skaggs threw a changeup at the knees, and Bregman pounded it into the ground, right to third baseman Luis Valbuena.

When Skaggs’ night was over, Manager Mike Scioscia surprisingly turned the game over to Justin Anderson – making his major league debut – in the eighth. Anderson found himself in that spot because Jim Johnson had pitched four of the previous six days, including two in a row, and Blake Wood was just placed on the disabled list.

Anderson, armed with a fastball that reached 99 mph, gave up a pair of two-out hits to George Springer and José Altuve. He then struck out Carlos Correa on a slider to escape with the 2-0 lead intact.

Middleton pitched the ninth, with the game ending when Yuli Gurriel was called out – on review – trying to take third on a wild pitch. It was his sixth save in as many opportunities.

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Other than Mike Trout, most of the Angels’ hitters have been in a collective slump for the past week, and Gerrit Cole didn’t seem to be the elixir for that.

Cole, the former Orange Lutheran High and UCLA standout who came into the game with a 0.96 ERA, retired the first 13 hitters before Valbuena broke up the perfect game with a single in the fifth.

After a Zack Cozart walk, Kole Calhoun drove in the game’s first run with a single into right. It snapped a career-worst 0-for-20 slump for Calhoun.

The Angels got an insurance run in the sixth on a pair of two-out hits. Trout lined a single up the middle, then stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. Justin Upton, who had struck out in his first two trips, then took a 2-and-2 curveball just off the outside corner, close enough that all of Minute Maid Park groaned at the call. The next pitch was a slider, in almost the exact same spot, and Upton drilled it off the center field fence, for an RBI double.

More to come on this story.

RBI double for @JUST_JUP@Angels @FOXSportsWest | FSGO pic.twitter.com/OfbsT5ZZVj

— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) April 24, 2018

Like finding a prize in the Cracker Jack bag. @PujolsFive pic.twitter.com/2EO7yZFN7S

— Angels (@Angels) April 24, 2018

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