Ohtani, Trout homer to help Angels to victory over Orioles

BALTIMORE – All Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout need is a little more help.

They got it from Hunter Renfroe during a dicey ninth inning.

Ohtani homered in the first and hit a tiebreaking infield single in the eighth, and Renfroe’s terrific throw in the ninth helped the Los Angeles Angels hold on for a 6-5 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday.

“That throw from Renfroe was incredible,” Los Angeles manager Phil Nevin said. “That’s one of the better throws I’ve seen by a right fielder.”

Trout also went deep for the Angels, and Anthony Santander and Adley Rutschman homered for Baltimore. Rutschman’s two-run shot in the seventh gave Baltimore a 5-4 lead, but it was short lived.

Bryan Baker (3-1) allowed a single and a walk with one out in the eighth, and then Austin Voth came on and yielded an RBI single to Gio Urshela. After a strikeout, Voth hit Trout with a pitch to load the bases.

Left- hander Danny Coulombe came in to face Ohtani, who ripped a grounder to the right side. First baseman Ryan

Mountcastle made a diving stop, but Ohtani easily beat Coulombe to the bag and the go-ahead run came home.

Chris Devenski (1-0) got the win despite allowing Rutschman’s 424-foot homer. Matt Moore worked the eighth and Carlos Estévez pitched the ninth for his 10th save in 10 chances.

With one out in the ninth, Adam Frazier hit a line drive to right, but Renfroe played the ball beautifully off the wall and made a great throw to second to catch Frazier trying for a double. That turned out to be a huge play because pinch-hitter Cedric

Mullins followed with a double.

“Obviously it’s fun being against Frazier,” said Renfroe, who was a teammate of Frazier’s at Mississippi State. “My teammate and good buddy. He texted me as soon as I got in here, so that was a lot of fun.”

The Angels intentionally walked Rutschman, which put the winning run on base but also allowed Estévez to face a right-handed batter. He struck Mountcastle out on three pitches to end the game.

“I just liked the other matchup better,” Nevin said.

AP PHOTO/JESS RAPFOGEL Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani runs the bases after hitting a home run against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning of a baseball game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Thursday in Baltimore.