Losing streak snapped at eight

Keller called up, gets a lot of offense, 10- 2

ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Pirates had to go to Los Angeles to finally have a good day. Well, technically, Anaheim isn’t considered to be L. A, but no need for semantics when your team breaks an eight- game losing streak with a 10- 2 win against the Angels at Angel Stadium.

The Pirates entered Monday with a 4- 24 record since the All- Star break. Add to that the Pirates had a devastating loss Sunday when they blew an 8- 4 lead and wasted two Josh Bell home runs against the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Pirates benefited from some blunders by the Angels to take a 3- 0 lead in the first inning.

Kevin Newman led off the inning with a line drive to center field for a base hit. Wilfredo Tovar misplayed a ball hit into the gap by Starling Marte with one out. Newman and Marte each are speedy runners so it would’ve been hard to turn a double play, but Tovar should’ve gotten at least one out. Instead, he didn’t get any. Seeing a lousy play go in the Pirates favor had to give them a sense of relief considered how dreadful the past four weeks have been.

Bell drove in Newman with a

single to give the Pirates a 1- 0 lead. Marte and Bell moved to second and third on a fielding error by third baseman Matt Thaiss. Jose Osuna hit a ball that Thaiss could’ve turned into a double play. It has been quite some time since the Pirates saw so much good luck.

Albert Pujols committed a throwing error on a ball hit by Melky Cabrera allowing Marte and Bell to score.

Mitch Keller also needed a good outing based on his previous three starts with Pirates. Keller had an easy first inning other than walking eight- time All- Star Mike Trout. Of course, it’s better to walk Trout than give up his 40th home run of the season.

Keller’s fastball regularly reached 97 mph in his five innings of work with four strikeouts. He also had two walks, both to Trout.

Keller worked his way out of a jam in the fourth when he loaded the bases after hitting Luis Rengifo with a pitch. Justin Upton and Thaiss each got hits in the inning before Keller hit Rengifo.

Tovar grounded into a double play after Max Stassi drove in a run on a sacrifice fly.

Pablo Reyes, who played third, committed his second error in two days that allowed Kole Calhoun to score an unearned run against Keller with two outs in the fifth. Keller finished off the inning with a Pujols ground out.

Keller lowered his ERA from 10.50 ERA to 7.94 with by far the best outing of his career with the Pirates.

Jacob Stallings drove in Melky Cabrera and Reyes with a two- run double in the third. Stallings also hit his fourth home run of the season in the fifth.

Bell hit his 30th home run of the year in the sixth right after Bryan Reynolds hit his 12th. The Pirates led, 9- 2.

Osuna hit a double in the ninth to drive in Marte for the 10th run. It was the first time the Pirates scored 10 or more runs in a game since July 30. The Pirates are 10- 1 in games in which they score 10 or more runs.

Chris Stratton pitched three scoreless innings in relief for Keller.

The win won’t put the Pirates anywhere near the playoff race. But at least for a night, the Pirates finally got some breaks to go their way.

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NOTE — The Pirates called up Keller for the third time this season for his fourth major league start. Manager Clint Hurdle told reporters before the game the team intends on keeping Keller with the big- league club for the rest of the season.