Die Allianz T-D-P » team-mates will have learned lesson

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Just when the Houston Astros figured everybody in baseball had pretty much forgotten about them, theyve started to pull off some attention-grabbing feats. After a perfect road trip, the low-budget club with the ALs worst record is heading home with the majors longest active winning streak. Chris Carter homered, Erik Bedard pitched seven strong innings for his first victory of the season, and the last-place Astros completed a four-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels with a 2-1 victory Monday night. Brandon Barnes drove in the go-ahead run in the sixth inning as the Astros finished their unblemished six-game trip with their seventh win over the big-money Angels in 10 meetings this season. The Astros completed their longest perfect road trip since 1999 despite managing only three hits and four baserunners — and one was picked off. "Everybody takes pride in winning and playing as a team, and guys are playing great right now," said Carter, who hit his fifth homer against the Angels already this season. "Its just about getting big hits in big situations." Houston hadnt won six consecutive games since August 2010, and hadnt won six straight on the road since July 2005. The Astros barely hung on for the latest win in their improbable string, with Jose Veras striking out Hank Conger with two runners on in the ninth for his 11th save. "I feel like were playing really good baseball," Houston manager Bo Porter said. "We had been playing good baseball, but now were starting to win those crucial break points. ... I look at the talent in that room. I know the potential we have. Youre starting to see were coming together. I said it last month: Were going to hit our stride, and were going to start winning some of those games we were losing." The Astros had just enough to hold off Los Angeles, which lost a game despite allowing three hits or fewer for just the fifth time in the last decade. Joe Blanton picked up his AL-worst ninth loss for the Angels despite matching his career high with 11 strikeouts and allowing just three hits in eight outstanding innings. The Angels held a closed-door meeting for 25 minutes after their latest discouraging loss in a season full of them. "Anything can happen in this game, so you cant take the other team for granted," said Albert Pujols, who went 0 for 4. "They have a lot of players who want to prove that they belong up here. We had our pitching matchups set up, and obviously things didnt go our way." Barnes dived to catch Pujols sinking drive to centre with Mike Trout on base to end the eighth. Veras then held on for his third save in the four-game series, giving up Alberto Callaspos two-out double and walking pinch-hitter Josh Hamilton striking out pinch-hitter Conger looking. Bedard (1-2) hadnt won in his last 11 starts dating to last season, but the veteran lefty gave up just five hits and a walk despite entering the night with a career 7.08 ERA at Angel Stadium. Trout drove in the only run for the foundering Angels, who have lost six of eight to erase all momentum from their eight-game winning streak last month. Los Angeles slid back to eight games below .500 with four consecutive losses to the Astros, dropping its record against the rest of the AL West to 9-19. Carters fifth-inning homer was the Astros first hit off Blanton (1-9), who kept mowing down the Astros in his first start with 10 strikeouts in nearly four years. Blanton still matched Philadelphias Cole Hamels for the major league lead in losses. "They executed when they needed to, and we didnt," Blanton said. "They pitched well. Anytime somebody beats you four in a row, youve got to give them credit. Its not all a matter of you playing bad." Hamilton was held out of the Angels starting lineup to give some rest to the slumping $125 million outfielder. Hamilton missed two games last week with back spasms, but the former AL MVP was 2 for 15 on the homestand, and is batting .169 against left-handers this season. Blanton struck out six of the Astros first nine batters. Houstons only baserunner in the first 4 2-3 innings reached on Callaspos throwing error in the third, but Chris Iannetta picked Matt Dominguez off second base moments later. The Angels took the lead in the third when J.B. Shuck doubled down the right-field line, advanced on Erick Aybars single and scored on Trouts flyout. Blanton was firmly in control until Carters homer, striking out the first two batters he faced in the fifth to surpass his season high. But Carter lined a pitch into the bullpens beyond the left-field fence for his 12th homer of the season. Houston went ahead in the sixth when Dominguez doubled, advanced on a bunt and scored on Barnes fly. NOTES: Astros SS Marwin Gonzalez returned after missing four games with a strained hamstring. ... Blanton matched his career-best 11 strikeouts on May 26, 2009, while pitching for Philadelphia against the Marlins. ... OF Peter Bourjos had a triple in the first game of his rehabilitation assignment with Single-A Inland Empire. Out since April 29 with an injured hamstring, the centre fielder is expected to rejoin the Angels this week, bumping Trout back to left field.Cheap Nike Vapormax Australia . Bryant, who signed a five-year, $34 million contract as a free agent with Cleveland in March, reported symptoms on Monday morning, a team spokesman said. Nike Air Vapormax Plus Black And White http://www.vapormaxaustraliashoes.com/air-vapormax-run-utility-sneakers.html . After taking two big hits this week -- losing at home and dropping back-to-back games for the first time all season -- Indiana struck back by playing its most complete game of the year. Air Max Tn Australia . Brad Jacobs and his Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., team took control of the game early. Nike Vapormax Mens Australia .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable.Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has revealed he gets butterflies in the build-up to big matches as the Argentine prepares to take on Liverpool in Sundays Capital One Cup final at Wembley.Aguero has competed in a number of major finals for club and country during his illustrious career, including the 2010 Europa League with Atletico Madrid, the 2014 League Cup with City and the 2014 World Cup and the 2015 Copa America for his country.But despite playing at the very top of the game for several years, the forward still gets nervous in the days leading up to showpiece events - at least until the first whistle sounds. Sergio Aguero has played in many big games, including the 2014 World Cup final The butterflies are always there, Aguero told Sky Sports. Thats normal in any game. When it is a final, you just want to get the preparation over and play.Obviously you are wanting to do well, but as soon as you are out on the field that anxiety tends to go away once you start enjoying yourself in the game. Once you get on the ball, the nerves go.I like to have the same mental approach as when I was a kid. I like to enjoy it, whether it is training or a game. It is important somebody still has to win and lose, but the main thing is to enjoy it and that is the kind of attitude I take into training and into games. We will be going all out for some sort of revenge and hopefully we have learnt from that and will get our own back in the final Sergio Aguero Once Sundays encounter with Liverpool gets under way, Aguero says he will approach it like he does any other match in an attempt to relax himself.I try to play a normal game, forget it is a final, and do not make any special plans, he said. However, it is a funny one as sometimes the team that plays the worst in a final ends up winning.What it is all about is eliminating individual errors, ironing out mistakes as they can be costly in games. There is no forgiveness in finals like there can be in the league, you need to be 100 per cent focused and concentrated going into the game and do not make one little error that might cost us the final. Aguero believes mental as well as physical preparation is key in the lead-up to big contests.ddddddddddddHow you prepare mentally can dictate how you are going to perform in the final, he said. Focus on the game and the task in hand and what is in the head can dictate whether you win or lose or have a good game or not.You need to focus on what you have been doing well, give everything and leave everything out there as it is a final. Go in with a positive mental attitude to try and win the game, do not forget to try and enjoy it and almost get lost in the game, because sometimes nerves creep in and you can be a bit more anxious when going into a final. Liverpool beat Man City 4-1 in the Premier League in November The 27-year-old knows that City will face a tough examination against Jurgen Klopps side at Wembley, especially in light of what happened the last time the teams met.On that occasion in November, Liverpool beat City 4-1 in the Premier League, but Aguero hopes he and his team-mates will have learned lessons from that meeting at the Etihad.It is a final, so they will give everything they can, he said. It is probably their best chance of a trophy and they will want to make their fans happy by giving their best performance.We expect a difficult game bearing in mind the defeat earlier in the season, but we will be going all out for some sort of revenge. They played well, but hopefully we have learnt from that and will get our own back in the final. Aguero won the League Cup with Manchester City in 2014 And Aguero recognises just how vital it is for City to get their hands on the seasons first piece of silverware - as they also did two years ago under Manuel Pellegrini - especially after all the millions the clubs UAE-based owners have spent on the team.It is very important to win Capital One Cup, he said.It is an important trophy for us, the club have invested a lot to win trophies and it will be marvellous to win it again.Also See:Thiago rules out City movePogbas Pep talkHow local is your clubWATCH: Kompany ready for action ' ' '