Cristian Javier returned from Tommy John with a six-inning, no-hit gem against the Angels, flashing a life-filled fastball and cleaner command. Houston’s ace-in-waiting attacked counts early, and the velocity bump—peaking at 95.1 mph—paired with a sharper zone approach, giving him a scouting report close to his pre-surgery form. The night ended with a 2-0 win and a renewed belief that Houston can lean on stability from its rotation down the stretch.

Houston’s offense finally solved the scoreboard behind timely hits from Correa and Alvarez after Javier exited, while Espada praised the front-seat adjustments and noted that Javier’s breaking stuff still needs refinement. For fantasy managers, the takeaway is clear: if this version can be sustained, Javier could stabilize an injury-wraught staff and become a more reliable streaming option when matchups cooperate.

The previous Baltimore outing loomed as a cautionary tale, but this performance showed what the Astros hoped to recapture: a frontline ace delivering six innings, efficient pitches, and a blueprint for command and energy that could carry Houston through a tense division race.

Angels swept the Dodgers in a six-game set for the first time since interleague play began in 1997, snapping a long-standing learning curve for L.A. The Dodgers led into the eighth, but a bullpen that had been exposed by injuries and patchwork arms buckled, paving the way for a dramatic Angels rally that hinged on a deflected ball, a bases-loaded situation, and Logan O’Hoppe’s go-ahead two-run single.

The game also underscored Shohei Ohtani’s continued two-way impact: a first-inning triple, a heavy heater clocked near 103 mph, and a longer-than-expected stint on the mound, even as Betts and Freeman produced early offense for Los Angeles. Ohtani’s surge on the mound and at the plate keeps him at the center of fantasy and betting maps, while O’Hoppe’s late heroics put a spotlight on Angels’ depth behind him.

Dodgers had climbed nine games clear in early July, but a brutal stretch since then—four straight losses and a sub-.500 run—has them back in a tight NL West race with the Padres looming. The Padres’ five-game win streak and the looming two-series showdown over 10 days add a pressure-cooker dynamic to fantasy planning: the Dodgers’ bullpen questions remain decisive, while Ohtani’s ongoing two-way workload remains a unicorn for rosters.

From Teoscar Hernández’s late-inning strikeout to Bryce Teodosio’s defensive miscue, misplays and missed opportunities defined the Dodgers’ failure to close, while Betts extended an eight-game hitting streak and Will Smith delivered a timely homer. The weekend tilt with San Diego will likely determine the division trajectory and sharpen fantasy decision-making ahead of the August push.

Ohtani returned to Angel Stadium as a pitcher for the first time since his Tommy John rehab, but his comeback was tempered by a rising count that forced the Dodgers into a tougher fifth. He logged 4 1/3 innings, 5 earned on 80 pitches, with 50 strikes. A leadoff triple in the first helped set the tone as Los Angeles built a 3-0 lead before weathering Angels’ rally. The night featured a high-velocity dose against Mike Trout, including a run of 98-101 mph heaters and a full-count sweeper to freeze him, underscoring Ohtani’s still-elite but carefully managed return to pitching.

The Dodgers’ bullpen held until the eighth, but Logan O’Hoppe delivered the deciding blow for the Angels with a line-drive single to reclaim the lead, and Kenley Jansen closed for save number 470 as LAA_pulled off a 6-5 win. The result left the Dodgers a game behind San Diego in the NL West, with the Padres winning big earlier in the day. Interleague momentum swung firmly to the Angels, who extended their seven-game win streak against their rival from L.A., while the Padres nudged ahead in the standings and kept the pressure on Los Angeles.