The last time the Angels won their first two games of a season, Mike Trout was a sophomore in high school.

Thanks to another Trout homer — along with homers from Josh Lowe and Zach Neto — the visiting Angels reached that “milestone” on Friday night, beating the Houston Astros for the second game in a row, 6-2.

“The last two games have been great team wins from everybody,” Trout said. “Everybody’s contributing. Pitching staff’s making pitches. Timely hitting.”

A 2-0 record doesn’t seem like much, but it’s been elusive for the Angels lately. They had only won their opener once in the previous 12 seasons before Thursday’s victory, and the last time they won their first two games was 2007.

The 2007 Angels won 94 games and the American League West title.

No one is going to crown them with anything for winning two games in the first series of the year, but Trout’s start has nonetheless provided some hope that maybe this year will be the end of their streak of 10 consecutive losing seasons.

Besides his line drive over the left field fence in the fifth inning, Trout reached on a bloop single and a ground ball that got through the infield. He also walked.

“Just watching him at the plate, he’s comfortable, confident,” Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said. “He’s in a good place right now. He really is just taking it day by day, really, swing by swing. He’s up there just kind of having fun with that kind of mentality. When he does that, he’s dangerous. Really happy for him.”

— Jeff Fletcher

DODGER DOINGS

In his first at-bat of the season, Alex Freeland hit a solo home run in Friday’s 5-4 home win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Freeland later led off the eighth inning with a double, moved to third when Shohei Ohtani grounded out, and scored when Kyle Tucker lashed a single through the right side of the Diamondbacks’ drawn-in infield.

Trumpets sounded after that, heralding the first save situation for the Dodgers’ new closer, Edwin Diaz. He retired the side in the ninth for his first save.

Evan Phillips (Tommy John surgery) and Blake Snell (shoulder soreness) each threw bullpen sessions Friday. Phillips should start facing hitters soon, but he will be leaving the team soon. His wife is due to give birth to their second child in early April.

The Dodgers traded minor league outfielder Damon Keith to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for cash considerations. Keith, 25, was an 18th-round draft pick out of Cal Baptist in 2021. He spent the past two seasons with Double-A Tulsa.

— Bill Plunkett

PADRES UPDATE

The Detroit Tigers scored four times in the eighth inning off relievers Jeremiah Estrada and Wandy Peralta and held on for a 5-2 victory over the Padres on Friday night in San Diego.

It was an inauspicious start for a bullpen that was by most measures the best in the major leagues in 2025 and is being counted on to be that good again this season.

“Just a bad outing, you know,” Estrada said. “… It sucks just to know we haven’t won a game and yet we had the opportunity and I lost it.”

Starting pitcher Michael King, coming off a season in which injuries limited him to 15 starts and a spring training in which he allowed nine home runs in 17 2/3 innings, pitched around four walks, a hit batter and one single to survive five scoreless innings.

“I liked what I saw from Michael today,” first-year manager Craig Stammen said. “That’s good news for the Padres. It’s good news for him going forward.”

— San Diego Union-Tribune

RIGHT BACK AT YOU

Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Mason Fluharty left Saturday’s game against the Athletics in the seventh inning after being struck on the right leg by consecutive infield singles.

Fluharty replaced Braydon Fisher to begin the inning and gave up a leadoff single to Jeff McNeil that bounced in front of the mound and struck the Toronto reliever above the right knee.

Manager John Schneider and a trainer came out to check on the 24-year-old Fluharty, who stayed in to face Max Muncy. Three pitches later, Muncy’s bouncing comebacker hit Fluharty on the inside of the right knee, knocking him to the ground.

Schneider and the trainer came out again and Fluharty eventually limped off while being supported by slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and head athletic trainer Jose Ministral.