In a game that meant everything for the Houston Astros and little on paper for the Los Angeles Angels, the Halos flipped the script—and possibly the AL playoff race. Fueled by two clutch home runs from Mike Trout, they beat the Astros 4-3 at Angel Stadium to open a three-game set Friday night.

With playoff implications on the line, the final regular season series between the two AL West teams carried extra weight. Trout rose to the moment with one of his most memorable performances of the year. Down 3-0 in the fourth inning, he crushed a solo shot to left-center off Houston starter Jason Alexander, cutting into the deficit and igniting the Angel Stadium crowd.

The MLB took to its official X (formerly known as Twitter), showcasing the moment home run No. 402 left Trout’s bat.

“Mike Trout hits career home run No. 402”

Trout’s solo shot not only sparked the comeback but also moved the Angels legend into second on the franchise’s all-time RBI list. Rookie second baseman Christian Moore and shortstop Denzer Guzman followed with back-to-back doubles in the fifth to trim the deficit to 3-2. Chris Taylor later tied it with an RBI single in the seventh.

But Trout wasn’t finished. Leading off the bottom of the eighth with the game tied, he sent another ball over the right-center field wall.

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The MLB took to the platform once again, as the 3-time MVP hit another solo shot in the bottom of the eighth inning, proving to be decisive in the result of the game and potentially the Astros entire 2025 season.

“Mike Trout launches his SECOND HR of the night!”

The win was meaningless in the standings for the 72-88 Angels—but devastating for the Astros playoff hopes. At 85-75, the Astros trail both the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians in the AL Wild Card race and hold no tiebreakers over either team.

With one more loss or a win by the Tigers or Guardians, Houston will be eliminated. And if that happens, Trout’s bat may have been the one to shut the door.