Houston Astros designed hitter Yordan Alvarez went 0 for 3 in a 3-0 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday in Houston. File Photo by Kevin M. Cox/UPI | License Photo
Yordan Alvarez obliterated a curveball for what appeared to be a likely home run before the ball hit the roof of Daikin Park and was ruled foul.
The oddity occurred in the bottom of the first inning of the Houston Astros’ 3-0 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday in Houston. Alvarez was 0 for 3 in the setback.
“Things happen how they happen,” Alvarez told reporters.
The Angels failed to reach base in the top of the first inning. Angels starter Jose Soriano forced a groundout from second baseman Jose Altuve in his first exchange of the afternoon. He then settled in against Alvarez.
The Daikin Park roof took a potential home run away from Yordan Alvarez pic.twitter.com/9ECK49DFK1— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) March 26, 2026
The Astros’ designated hitter first took a 97.9-mph fastball for a called strike. Soriano then threw a down-and-inside knuckle-curve. Alvarez hacked at the off-speed offering, sending the ball deep to right field.
Alvarez watched the blast carry toward the outfield wall before it hit a beam in the Daikin Park ceiling and ricocheted from fair to foul territory. The ball landed in the stands to the right of the right field foul pole.
Umpires reviewed the play and the initial ruling of a foul ball was upheld. Alvarez also fouled off the next two pitches. He took a ball on the fifth offering before being retired off a foul tip.
“That’s probably the second ball I’ve ever seen hit that part of the roof,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “Obviously, the ball, wherever it strikes, that ball was in play and landed foul, so it was a foul ball. If it landed straight, we would have played it as is.
“He crushed that ball. That would have landed in the upper deck.”
Angels center fielder Mike Trout smacked a 403-foot solo homer in the top of the seventh for the first run of the contest. Second baseman Oswald Peraza doubled the Angels lead with an RBI single in the eighth.
First baseman Nolan Schanuel raked a 383-foot solo homer in the ninth for the game’s final run.
Soriano allowed just two hits over six shutout innings. He also issued seven strikeouts and four walks to earn his first victory of 2026. Catcher Logan O’Hoppe and outfielder Jo Adell logged two hits apiece for the Angels.
Astros left fielder Joey Loperfido was 2 for 4 in the loss. Astros starter Hunter Brown allowed just four hits over 4 2/3 shoutout innings, but was not on record for a decision. First baseman Christian Walker, who went 1 for 3, was the only other Astros players to record a hit.
The Astros (0-1) will host the Angels (1-0) in the second game of the series at 8:15 p.m. EDT Friday in Houston. The four-game series will continue Saturday and Sunday.
