Angels back to .500 after comeback win sparked by Rendon
PHOENIX » It was fitting that the victory that pulled the Angels back to .500 for the first time in more than a month would be one in which they overcame a big early deficit.
After trailing by five runs in the third inning, the Angels rallied for an 8-7 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday afternoon.
Anthony Rendon drove in four runs, including the game-tying run as part of a three-run ninth inning. José Iglesias then knocked in the go-ahead run.
With their fifth consecutive victory, the Angels are
32-32, at .500 for the first time since they were 13-13 on May 2. They had been as many as eight games under as recently as May
22.
“It’s definitely an achievement,” Manager Joe Maddon said. “It’s a goal. You gotta get there . ... Now we have to continue to go one game at a time. The next goal is five over, and 10 over, and etc.”
It looked like they’d come up empty in this opportunity to get to even because starting pitcher Alex Cobb gave up five runs, all with two outs in the third, but the comeback began the next inning.
Rendon led off the fourth with a homer, snapping a 102-at-bat homerless streak, dating to May
3. It was the second-longest drought of his career.
The Angels trailed 5-2 in the fifth, when Rendon lined a double into right-center, driving in two more runs. It was the first time since May 1 that Rendon had multiple extra-base hits.
Maddon said he hoped that this game would be a boost for Rendon.
“I don’t care how long you’ve played and how much you’ve accomplished, confidence can wane,” Maddon said. “When it takes a leave of absence, it’s tough. It’s all about confidence. I want to believe this game today can get him rolling. Those were crispy coming off his bat.” Rendon, however, disagreed. “I’m an adult,” he said. “I don’t need hits to build my confidence.”
He added that his swing has felt the same all along, despite slump around two stints on the injured list.
Meanwhile, José Suarez kept the Angels close by holding Arizona to only a Josh Rojas homer in four innings of relief.
The Angels trailed 6-4 when they scored on a Kean Wong safety squeeze, a run that was set up by a pinch-hit single from Shohei Ohtani.
In the ninth, Jared Walsh led off with a double and went to third on Max Stasi’s single. Rendon hit a fly ball to left field to tie the score. Iglesias then hammered a drive off the center field fence to drive Stassi in from first. Ward followed with a double to knock in an insurance run.
Raisel Iglesias, who a night earlier had suffered his first blown save since April, allowed a solo home run in the ninth before finishing it.
The outcome was quite a relief for Cobb, who was taken off for the hook for the loss. He gave up five runs in his last start but got a victory because of a comeback.
“We have to be in the top of the league in comeback wins,” Cobb said. “What we did early on and lately. We just never give up on at-bats. They fight every time up there. It’s such a good feeling on the mound knowing that you have a leash. You have some mistakes you can make. You still have a really good chance for your team to come back. Having that feeling on the mound is really nice and freeing.”