Yordan Alvarez slugged a pair of two-run home runs in his return to the lineup as the Houston Astros claimed their home opener with an 8-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Monday.

Alvarez, sidelined for five games due to health and safety protocol, bashed a two-out homer into the upper deck in right field off Angels right-hander Michael Lorenzen (1-1) in the first inning and later followed a leadoff double by Alex Bregman in the seventh with a blast into the home bullpen in right-center. It marked his ninth career multi-homer game and first since Sept. 13, 2021, at Texas. The homers covered 415 and 429 feet. Alvarez finished 3-for-5 with four RBIs.

Sandwiched between the Alvarez seismic blasts were a trio of manufactured runs by the Astros.

Jeremy Pena and Jose Siri reached in succession with the bases loaded and without the benefit of a hit as Pena worked a one-out walk off Lorenzen that snapped a 2-2 tie in the fourth inning. Lorenzen followed by plunking Siri with a pitch to force home Alvarez, who smoked a single to center field after Bregman (2-for-4, two runs scored) opened that frame with a single to right.

Lorenzen departed following the Siri hit by pitch, having allowed four runs on four hits and two walks with two strikeouts over 3 1/3 innings. His walk to Kyle Tucker loaded the bases for Pena.

After Tucker opened the sixth with a single off Angels reliever Austin Warren, Pena reached on a bunt single before Tucker took third on a Siri flyout to right. Nine-hole hitter Martin Maldonado then delivered a perfect sacrifice bunt down the first-base line that scored Tucker for a 5-3 lead.

Alvarez clubbed his third home run of the season off Archie Bradley, the Angels' fourth pitcher of the night, in the seventh.

The Angels had won five of six games.

Astros right-hander Luis Garcia (1-0) struck out the side in the first but allowed a pair of doubles in the second, including one to Tyler Wade that scored Brandon Marsh and Jack Mayfield with two outs. Max Stassi later chased Garcia with a two-out homer off the right-field foul pole in the sixth.

Garcia allowed three runs on four hits and one walk with seven strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings.

Astros second baseman Jose Altuve departed with an injury in the eighth following his infield single.

--Field Level Media