Astros ride McCullers’ arm to win over Angels

HOUSTON — Lance McCullers faced the game’s most productive offense this month and dominated, twirling eight-plus scoreless innings against the streaking Angels to lead his Astros to a 2-1 victory at Minute Maid Park on Friday night.

The Astros have won 10 of 17 games in July and are now only three games back of the Rangers for first place in the American League West.

McCullers gave up just four hits and issued four walks, striking out 10 to capture his fifth win and drop his ERA to 3.20. He became the first right-hander to strike out Mike Trout swinging in three straight plate appearances, using curveballs for each one.

McCullers struck out the side in the eighth, then came back out for the ninth and issued back-to-back walks, prompting Astros manager A.J. Hinch to remove him with a career-high 117 pitches. Will Harris then gave up a two-out RBI single to Andrelton Simmons, but he struck out Ji-Man Choi with the potential tying run in scoring position, recording his 10th save and snapping the Angels’ six-game winning streak.

The Astros couldn’t do much against Matt Shoemaker, who entered with a 2.36 ERA since May 21, but they got just enough.

In the fifth, Preston Tucker got a triple on a ball that rolled all the way up Tal’s Hill and then scored when Jason Castro lined a single past a drawn-in infield. With two outs in the seventh, Angels manager Mike Scioscia removed …

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