The Los Angeles Angels have nearly lost their lead after the Baltimore Orioles managed to secure a tie, but the Angels came out victorious with a score of 7-6 against the Orioles in their latest game.
The Angels led the Orioles 6-0 throughout the first inning before holding on to a 6-6 tie after the Orioles retaliated. The Angels fought hard to avoid the Orioles from passing them, a situation Angels manager Joe Maddon dubbed “a root canal”.
“It wasn’t necessarily pleasurable. It started out well but then we just couldn’t get that hit,” said Maddon. “They kept fighting back, but we hung in there until the very end.”
The Angels took an early lead thanks to outfielder Jo Adell’s grand slam. Designated hitter Shohei Ohtani then led off the seventh inning with a single and later scored on a bases-loaded walk. Los Angeles got hit by pitches twice and recorded nine walks against six Orioles pitchers. However, the rebuilding Orioles held firm.
“They definitely came in and opened some eyes this series,” said Adell. “But I’m glad we were able to avoid that full sweep and kind of get back on the winning side of things and keep it rolling.”
Orioles’ Comeback
Adell was a recent addition to the roster, fielded after Brandon Marsh was ruled out due to a problem in his stomach. Adell’s second career grand slam made it 6-0 before the Orioles got an out.
Travis Lakins Sr. struck out the next nine batters without allowing a single hit Pitcher Keegan Akin followed with two disappointing innings, giving Baltimore a chance to respond.
In the third inning, outfielder Trey Mancini blasted a three-run home run. In the seventh, baseman Ryan Mountcastle hit an RBI single. Outfielder Austin Hays recorded a two-run drive to left off Angels’ Austin Warren.
“I’m really happy with what we did being down 6-0. We got a couple of big homers that we haven’t had, which was nice,” said Orioles manager Brandon Hyde.
Ohtani led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a single off pitcher Mike Baumann, who then hit a batter and recorded a walk. Outfielder Taylor Ward faced pitcher Félix Bautista and worked a full count before drawing a walk on the ninth pitch of the at-bat. He had three walks in the game.
Ward claimed he did not swing at Bautista’s last pitch because of the ball’s trajectory. Bautista’s 98 miles per hour speed fastball found the inside corner but was a little high.
“He could have piped it right down the middle and I would have let it go,” said Ward. “When you’re in the box, sometimes you have like these feelings, like OK, I’m going to get a fastball here or the chances that he throws another strike are probably very slim. With that guy, I just felt that. I know the game is on the line. It is what it is. Roll the dice.”
Angels pitcher Jimmy Herget pitched a scoreless eighth inning before Mancini led off the ninth with a single. Pitcher Archie Bradley entered the game and struck out outfielder Anthony Santander before inducing a double-play grounder from Mountcastle to earn his first save with the Angels.
Before leaving with right shoulder pain, Orioles starter Chris Ellis faced five hitters, walked three, hit one with a pitch, and allowed a two-run single to outfielder Jared Walsh.