carted

HOUSTON — José Soriano and two relievers combined for a two-hitter and Oswald Peraza hit his first home run since a trade from the Yankees to lead the Angels to a 3-0 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday.

Angels outfielder Taylor Ward was injured trying to make a catch on that hit when he crashed face-first into the metal scoreboard in left field.

He was bleeding and appeared to have a cut above his right eye. He held a smaller cloth to his head as he was slowly carted off the field while resting his head on the shoulder of a team employee who rode the cart with him. There was no immediate update on his injury.

Soriano (10-9) allowed one hit and struck out eight in seven innings. Luis García allowed one hit in a scoreless eighth and Kenley Jansen threw a perfect ninth for his 25th save.

There were two outs in the fifth when Peraza connected off Hunter Brown (10-7) into the bullpen in right-center field to put the Angels up 1-0. His homer comes after his two-run single in the ninth inning Saturday helped Los Angeles to a 4-1 victory that snapped a three-game skid.

Yoán Moncada walked to start the eighth and scored on Mike Trout’s double that bounced off the wall in center field to make it 2-0. Ward walked before Luis Rengifo reached and Trout scored on an error by Lance McCullers Jr. when the pitcher overthrew first base.

Yordan Alvarez singled with no outs in the first and Soriano walked a batter in the second and sixth innings. The Astros didn’t get another hit until Ramón Urías doubled with one out in the eighth inning.

Brown allowed three hits and a run with five strikeouts in six innings. McCullers Jr. allowed three hits and two runs in his first relief appearance since 2018.

Up next: LHP Yusei Kikuchi (6-9, 3.68 ERA) will start for the Angels in the series finale Monday. Houston hasn’t announced its starter.

Third-year wide receiver Quentin Johnston was carted off the field after taking a big hit during the Chargers’ opening drive against the Rams in a preseason game at SoFi Stadium on Saturday.

Johnston was trying to haul in a pass from quarterback Justin Herbert when he was hit by Rams safety Tanner Ingle.

After staying down on the field for several minutes, Johnston stood up and was walking under his own power and talking to trainers and doctors before getting onto a cart and leaving the field.

Rookie KeAndre Lambert-Smith took over for Johnston on the drive.

Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh elected to play most of his starters Saturday. Along with Ladd McConkey and Keenan Allen, Johnston is expected to play a leading role in the Chargers’ passing game this season after recording 55 catches for 711 yards and eight touchdowns in 2024.