ANAHEIM -- They had been slipping toward this point for a while, but on Saturday, it finally happened: Following their 7-0 loss to the Astros at Angel Stadium, the Angels fell below .500 for the first time since Opening Day.
Right-hander Nick Tropeano pitched five solid innings in his return from the disabled list, but his performance was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise dreary day for the Angels. Their slumping offense was overmatched by Houston ace Justin Verlander, their normally stout defense committed three errors and their bullpen allowed the Astros to break the game open with a five-run sixth inning that was capped by a grand slam from George Springer.