Angels’ homestand starts same way trip ended
Craig Kimbrel struck out Mike Trout looking with the bases loaded for the final out, and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Angels 4-2 on Monday night for their seventh win in eight games.
James McCann and Colton Cowser homered and Adley Rutschman drove in two runs for the Orioles, who moved into first in the American League East. They improved to 3-1 on their trip while winning the 10,000th regular-season game in Angels history.
Baltimore starter Albert Suárez (1-0) pitched four-hit ball into the sixth to earn his first major league victory since 2016, but Kimbrel barely hung on in a tumultuous ninth inning to secure his sixth save.
Baltimore’s veteran closer hit Jo Adell with a pitch and gave up Logan O’Hoppe’s third hit of the night to start the ninth. Pinch-hitter Luis Rengifo drew a one-out walk to load the bases, but Nolan Schanuel popped up before Trout didn’t swing at two consecutive high fastballs.
“I knew what he was going to throw me,” said Trout, who entered Tuesday with one hit in his last five games after a stellar start to the season. “They’d been throwing me that same stuff the whole game. I’ve got to come through. That’s it.”
Baltimore’s powerful lineup patiently chipped away at Angels starter Reid Detmers (3-1), who was off to an outstanding start to the season with a 1.19 earned-run average and 30 strikeouts in his first four outings. McCann homered in the second inning and Cowser added another solo shot in the seventh.
Adell homered for the Angels, who opened a nine-game homestand with their fifth straight loss.
Detmers yielded four runs on six hits and three walks in his first loss in 10 starts since last Aug. 23. The left-hander had given up just three earned runs combined in his first four starts this season.
“I battled and got through seven, which is huge for our bullpen,” Detmers said. “Kept us in the game, but I made some mistakes. There were three or four pitches I’d like to have back.”