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, but the right-hander settled down and allowed just one more run to cross the plate in the frame. That ended up being all the offense the Astros would post against Rodriguez, while the Angels exploded for a season-high 18 runs. The victory was the first for Rodriguez since July 10, as he 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 in his next outing, which is set to come at home next week against the Guardians.