Los Angeles Angels starting pitching coming around leads to victory

The Los Angeles Angels have been struggling mightily the past week losing six games in a row.  One of the main reasons has been the starting pitching.  In the first12 games the Angels had no quality starts & only one win by a starter.

Finally on Sunday and Monday the Los Angeles Angels got their first quality starts of the season by Tyler Skaggs and Jesse Chavez. Unfortunately the Angels offense went away they were shutout in both games wasting Chavez and Skaggs’ efforts.

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However, last night the Angels finally put both offense and pitching together and were able to break their six-game losing streak by beating the Houston Astros 5-2.  Ricky Nolasco pitched six strong innings  giving up only two runs on eight hits.

Offensively the Angels started slowly as they scored only one run in the first four innings.  However, in the fifth inning the Angels mounted a rally.  Martin Maldonado led off with a single and it was followed by another single by Yunel Escobar to put runners at first and second for Mike Trout. Trout then lashed a double down the right field line that tied the game at 2.

Up stepped Albert Pujols who has had a poor start to 2017 batting only .202 coming into the game.  Pujols drilled a Joe Musgrove pitch high and deep into the Houston sky as the ball left the ballpark completely over 460 feet away.  With Pujols three-run home run the Angels had their first multiple run lead during the losing streak at 5-2.

The home run was Pujols’ 593rd HR of his career and 29th at Minute Maid Park (the most HR’s he has hit at any park).  It was also his 54th career home run against the Astros and couldn’t have come at a better time. From there the pitching did the rest holding the Astros to no runs over the final five innings of the game.

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Nolasco pitched the fifth and 6th innings only allowing two hits.  He was followed by Bud Norris who pitched a scoreless 7th inning. Jose Alvarez started the eighth inning by giving up a lead-off walk to Jake Marisnick and so Angels manager Mike Scioscia went to closer Cam Bedrosian in hopes of getting a six-out save.

Bedrosian came in and made quick work of two-time AL batting champion Jose Altuve striking him out on three pitches.  He then got Carlos Beltran to ground into a double play to end the inning.

In the ninth Bedrosian struck out two batters and worked his way out of a two-out two on situation by snaring a Norichika Aoki comebacker and throwing it to first baseman C.J. Cron to end the game and break the losing streak.

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Hitting stars for the Angels included Escobar, Maldonado, and Andrelton Simmons who all had two hits and scored a run a piece.  Simmons and Trout also had RBI’s  along with Pujols’ three RBI’s on his home run.

The Angels will play two more games in Houston before returning to Anaheim Friday to begin a seven-game home stand. J.C. Ramirez will try to keep the streak of three consecutive quality starts going as he takes the mound for the second time filling in for Garrett Richards.  He will be followed on Thursday by Matt Shoemaker.

Halo Hangout will keep you updated on this upcoming week of action.