OC Register: Jaime Barria pitches Angels to victory in his major league debut

[AngelsWin.com]

• Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani swings and connects for a run-scoring single off a pitch from Texas Rangers starting pitcher Matt Moore in the second inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday April 11, 2018. The hit scored Kole Calhoun. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani follows through on a run-scoring single to left off a pitch from Texas Rangers starting pitcher Matt Moore in the second inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday April 11, 2018. The hit scored Kole Calhoun. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Kole Calhoun springs home past Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre, right, scoring on a single by Shohei Ohtani in the second inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday April 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani, left, celebrates his run-scoring single with first base coach Alfredo Griffin (4) in the second inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday April 11, 2018. The hit scored Kole Calhoun. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

• Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Jaime Barria throws to the Texas Rangers in the first inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday April 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

• ARLINGTON, TX – APRIL 11: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels runs the bases past Joey Gallo #13 of the Texas Rangers in the second inning at Globe Life Park in Arlington on April 11, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

• ARLINGTON, TX – APRIL 11: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels smiles on second base against the Texas Rangers in the second inning at Globe Life Park in Arlington on April 11, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani runs to third in the second inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday April 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

• Texas Rangers’ Matt Moore throws to the Los Angeles Angels in the first inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday April 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

• Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Jaime Barria throws his first pitch in his Major League debut to the Texas Rangers in the first inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday April 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

• Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Jaime Barria throws to the Texas Rangers in the first inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday April 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani walks away from the plate after striking out in the fourth inning of a baseball game as Texas Rangers catcher Robinson Chirinos watches in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday April 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani swings at a pitch from Texas Rangers starting pitcher Matt Moore as catcher Robinson Chirinos (61) reaches out to field the throw in the fourth inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday April 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

• Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Albert Pujols reaches up to field an infield fly out by Texas Rangers’ Jurickson Profar as Angels starting pitcher Jaime Barria, left rear, and the Rangers Shin-Soo Choo, right rear, watch in the third inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday April 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

• Texas Rangers third base coach Tony Beasley (27) congratulates Ryan Rua, right, on his solo home run in the third inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday April 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

• Texas Rangers catcher Robinson Chirinos (61) looks back after fielding the throw to the bag to see Los Angeles Angels’ Zack Cozart (7) scoring on a sacrifice fly by Mike Trout in the sixth inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday April 11, 2018. Plate umpire Alan Porter watches the play. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani connects for a line out to Texas Rangers relief pitcher Matt Bush (51) in the sixth inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday April 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani sprints away from the plate watching his line out to Texas Rangers relief pitcher Matt Bush (51) in the sixth inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday April 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani walks around umpire Alan Porter on his way back to the dugout after lining out to Texas Rangers relief pitcher Matt Bush in the sixth inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday April 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Rene Rivera leans over at the waist after being hit by a pitch from Texas Rangers’ Matt Bush (51) as catcher Robinson Chirinos (61) and Alan Porter watch in the sixth inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday April 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

• Texas Rangers relief pitcher Matt Bush (51) throws to the Los Angeles Angels in the sixth inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday April 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

• ARLINGTON, TX – APRIL 11: Zack Cozart #7 of the Los Angeles Angels celebrates a run with Kole Calhoun in the sixth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington on April 11, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani stands on the deck for an at-bat in the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday April 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout tosses his bat after earning a walk off of pitching from Texas Rangers’ Matt Moore in the fourth inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday April 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

• Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Jaime Barria stretches before throwing to the Texas Rangers in the fourth inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday April 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani fouls a pitch from Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jake Diekman off his right foot during an at-bat in the eighth inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday April 11, 2018. Ohtani earned a walk in the at bat. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

• Texas Rangers’ Joey Gallo tosses the ball after tagging out Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani on a pick off by Rangers relief pitcher Chris Martin in the eighth inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday April 11, 2018. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani is tagged out by Texas Rangers first baseman Joey Gallo trying to get back to the bag on a pick of attempt in the eighth inning of a baseball game in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday April 11, 2018. Ohtani was out on the play. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

• Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Jaime Barria walks through the dugout in the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday April 11, 2018. Barria made his Major League debut in the game. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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ARLINGTON, Texas — Jaime Barría gave the Angels reason to be optimistic they finally have the pitching depth to withstand their injuries.

Barría gave up one run in five innings in his major league debut, helping the Angels to a 7-2 victory over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night.

The Angels improved to 10-3, continuing to match the 1982 and 1979 teams for the best start in franchise history. They completed a three-game sweep of the Rangers, outscoring them 26-6.

For what it’s worth, the Angels are alone in first place, the first time since 2015 they’ve been in that position outside of the season’s first 10 games.

Their hopes for hanging with the favored Houston Astros all season will largely hinge on the starting rotation, which has already deteriorated to the point that the 21-year-old Barría got the call.

One of the Angels’ top pitching prospects, Barría was expected to contribute to the big league team at some point this season, but certainly not this soon.

The Angels reached his name on their depth chart because Andrew Heaney, JC Ramírez and Matt Shoemaker were all on the disabled list, and Parker Bridwell was unavailable to be recalled because he was optioned less than 10 days earlier.

The Angels had a relatively short leash on Barría because he was on just three days rest from his last outing, a rain-shortened 32-pitch outing on Saturday at Triple-A.

Barría walked two in a 20-pitch first inning, but after that he had little trouble getting through the next four innings.

Debut. [#TheHaloWay]

Jaime Barria held the Rangers to 1 run on 1 hit with 3 K's in 5 frames. pic.twitter.com/6LQBjWBdQa

— Angels (@Angels) April 12, 2018

Throwing his fastball at 91-92 mph and mixing in deceptive changeups, Barría gave up only one hit. Ryan Rua hit a homer to lead off the third.

Barría needed 71 pitches to get through five innings, which was enough to make him the first Angels starter to get a victory in his major league debut since Sean O’Sullivan in June 2009.

The Angels’ offense mostly was generated around triples by Jefry Marte in the fourth and Zack Cozart in the sixth. They started the scoring with two runs in the second, on back-to-back two-out RBI hits by Shohei Ohtani and René Rivera.

Shohei Ohtani in the lineup = Shohei Ohtani doing great things for the @Angels pic.twitter.com/UIagIvMvEs

— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) April 12, 2018

For Ohtani, the hit off Matt Moore was his first in five big league at-bats against a lefty. He struck out in his next time against Moore, and walked against left-handed reliever Jake Diekman. In between, he hit a soft lineout against right-hander Matt Bush.

Ohtani’s night included one odd sequence. After his eighth-inning walk, he was picked off by Chris Martin, his former teammate with the Nippon Ham Fighters. Upon review, the call was overturned. But then a few pitches later, Ohtani was picked off again, and this one stood.

Keynan Middleton, who is now clearly Manager Mike Scioscia’s preferred closer, picked up a five-out save. He struck out Joey Gallo with a 99 mph fastball to end the eighth in a 5-1 game. Kole Calhoun’s two-out, two-run single in the ninth provided some insurance before Middleton got the final three outs.

More to come on this story.

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