Rodriguez (4-5) earned the win over Houston on Thursday, allowing two unearned runs on five hits and two walks while striking out six batters over seven innings.
Rodriguez looked like he could be in for a rough night when he allowed the first three batters he faced to reach base via two walks and a single. An ensuing error by third baseman Vaughn Grissom resulted in a Houston run and prevented Rodriguez from recording his first out, but the veteran hurler settled down and allowed just one more run to cross the plate in the frame. That ended up being the final run the Astros posted against Rodriguez, while the Angels offense exploded for a season-high 18 runs. The victory was the first of the second half for Rodriguez, who had struggled to a 6.75 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 0-3 record across his first six starts following the All-Star break. He's at a 6.41 ERA through 14 outings in his first campaign with the Angels, but Rodriguez will look to build upon Thursday's strong start and end the season on a high note.