Alvarez and Tucker power Astros to 10-4 win over Angels

HOUSTON (AP) — Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker hit back-to-back home runs and finished with four hits apiece in the Houston Astros' 10-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night.

Victor Caratini launched an early three-run homer to help back Astros starter Ronel Blanco (12-6). Houston had a season-high 20 hits and lowered its magic number to three for clinching the AL West crown.

Alvarez and Tucker connected off reliever Ryan Miller in a span of three pitches, extending the lead to 10-2 in the seventh inning. It marked the seventh time the team has hit back-to-back home runs this season.

“He didn’t even let me enjoy the homer because as I was getting to the dugout he was already hitting his,” Alvarez said through an interpreter.

Tucker put together his second consecutive four-hit game. Alvarez entered the night hitless in his previous 12 at-bats.

Alvarez and Tucker hit successive doubles in the first to give the Astros a 1-0 lead. The Angels tied it in the second when Mickey Moniak scored on Logan O’Hoppe’s double after a throwing error by left fielder Mauricio Dubón.

Houston regained the lead in the second when Jose Altuve singled home Caratini with the bases loaded. Jake Meyers scored when the next hitter, Alvarez, grounded into a double play.

Houston broke open the game with a four-run third that included a three-run shot by Caratini, who also walked, singled and scored two runs.

Meyers went 2 for 3 with a double, two walks, a stolen base and a run.

Blanco allowed two runs and seven hits over six innings with nine strikeouts. His 2.88 ERA ranks third in the American League.

“I tip my hat to him,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “From day one, that no-hitter he threw (in his first start), he’s been embracing that role. He’s been grinding it out. We gave him that little breather. His stuff looks good. He’s been a workhorse for us.”

Angels starter Reid Detmers (4-8) was chased after letting the first four Astros batters reach safely in the third. He gave up seven runs and nine hits while retiring just five of the 17 hitters he faced.

“Too many pitches out over the middle of the plate,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “As relentless as that lineup is, you've got to make them work for their at-bats. They had too many easy swings. He was out there competing, but when he didn’t get it where he wanted to get it, they didn’t miss it.”

O’Hoppe went 4 for 4 with a home run and two doubles. Nolan Schanuel extended his hitting streak to a career-high 12 games for Los Angeles.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Angels: OF Jordyn Adams was out of the lineup for a second straight game due to right knee soreness.

Astros: RHP Tayler Scott was placed on the 15-day injured list due to a thoracic spine strain. … OF Chas McCormick, on the injured list since Sept. 11 with a fractured right hand, was able to grip a bat before the game and is getting closer to taking swings.

UP NEXT

Houston RHP Spencer Arrighetti (7-13, 4.68 ERA) opposes RHP Griffin Canning (6-13, 5.16 ERA) when the series concludes Sunday.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Los Angeles Angels' Nolan Schanuel (18) slides into second for a double past Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Los Angeles Angels' Nolan Schanuel reacts after hitting a double against the Houston Astros during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Houston Astros starting pitcher Ronel Blanco throws against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Houston Astros' Jose Altuve hits an RBI single against the Los Angeles Angels during the second inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Houston Astros' Victor Caratini (17) celebrates after hitting a three-run home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the third inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Houston Astros' Victor Caratini, center, celebrates with Jeremy Pena (3) after hitting a three-run home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the third inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Los Angeles Angels' Logan O'Hoppe, right, celebrates his solo home run against the Houston Astros with third base coach Eric Young Sr. during the fourth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Reid Detmers throws against the Houston Astros during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Houston Astros' Victor Caratini, right, celebrates with Yainer Diaz after hitting a three-run home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the third inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Houston Astros' Victor Caratini hits a three-run home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the third inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Houston Astros' Jeremy Pena slides into second for a double against the Los Angeles Angels during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Houston Astros starting pitcher Ronel Blanco reacts after striking out Los Angeles Angels' Jack Lopez to end the top of the sixth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Houston Astros' Jose Altuve laughs after being hit by a pitch by Los Angeles Angels' relief pitcher Michael Stefanic during the eighth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Houston Astros' Kyle Tucker watches his solo home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez, right, celebrates his solo home run against the Los Angeles Angels with third base coach Gary Pettis during the seventh inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Israeli troops raided the offices of the satellite news network Al Jazeera in the Israeli-occupied West Bank early Sunday, ordering the bureau to shut down amid a widening campaign by Israel targeting the Qatar-funded broadcaster as it covers the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

Al Jazeera aired footage of Israeli troops live on its Arabic-language channel ordering the office to be shut for 45 days. It follows an extraordinary order issued in May that saw Israeli police raid Al Jazeera's broadcast position in East Jerusalem, seizing equipment there, preventing its broadcasts in Israel and blocking its websites.

The move marked the first time Israel has ever shuttered a foreign news outlet operating in the country. However, Al Jazeera has continued operating in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and in the Gaza Strip, territories that the Palestinians hope to have for their future state.

There was no immediate acknowledgement of the shutdown by Israeli forces. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press. Al Jazeera denounced the move as it continued broadcasting live from Amman in neighboring Jordan.

Israeli troops entered the office and told a reporter live on air it would be shut for 45 days, saying that staff needed to leave immediately. The network later aired what appeared to be Israel troops tearing down a banner on a balcony used by the Al Jazeera office. Al Jazeera said it bore an image of Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American journalist shot dead by Israeli forces in May 2022.

“There is a court ruling for closing down Al Jazeera for 45 days,” an Israeli soldier told Al Jazeera’s local bureau chief, Walid al-Omari, in the live footage. “I ask you to take all the cameras and leave the office at this moment.”

Al-Omari later said that Israeli troops began confiscating documents and equipment in the bureau, as tear gas and gunshots could be seen and heard in the area.

The network has reported on the Israeli-Hamas war nonstop since the militants’ initial cross-border attack on Oct. 7 and has maintained 24-hour coverage in the Gaza Strip amid Israel’s grinding ground offensive that has killed and wounded members of its staff. It remains unclear whether the Israeli military would target Al Jazeera's operation in Gaza as well.

While including on-the-ground reporting of the war’s casualties, Al Jazeera's Arabic arm often publishes verbatim video statements from Hamas and other regional militant groups.

That has led to Israeli claims by officials up to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the network has “harmed Israel’s security and incited against soldiers.” Those claims have been vehemently denied by Al Jazeera, whose main funder, Qatar, has been key in negotiations between Israel and Hamas to reach a cease-fire to end the war.

An order closing Al Jazeera in Israel has been repeatedly renewed in the time since, but it hadn't as of yet ordered the Ramallah offices closed.

The war began when Hamas-led fighters killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in an Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel. They abducted another 250 people and are still holding around 100 hostages. Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed at least 41,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which doesn’t differentiate between fighters and civilians.

The closure of Al Jazeera's Ramallah office also comes as tensions continue to rise over a possible expansion of the war to Lebanon, where electronic devices exploded last week in a likely sabotage campaign by Israel targeting the Shiite militia Hezbollah.

The explosions Tuesday and Wednesday killed at least 37 people — including two children — and wounded around 3,000 others.

FILE - Al Jazeera broadcast engineer Mohammad Salameh works at the Master Control Room unit inside the network's office in the West Bank city of Ramallah, May 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser, File)