OC Register: Angels take a late-inning tumble against Blue Jays

[AngelsWin.com]

• Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Jaime Barria throws to a Toronto Blue Jays batter during the second inning of a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, June 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

• Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Marcus Stroman throws to a Los Angeles Angels batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, June 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

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• Toronto Blue Jays’ Teoscar Hernandez watches his home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the third inning of a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, June 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

• Toronto Blue Jays’ Teoscar Hernandez celebrates his home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the third inning of a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, June 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

• Toronto Blue Jays’ Teoscar Hernandez celebrates in the dugout after his home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the third inning of a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, June 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

• Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Marcus Stroman celebrates after getting the final out with the bases loaded in the third inning of the team’s baseball game against the Anaheim Angels in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, June 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

• Los Angeles Angels’ David Fletcher is tagged out at home by Toronto Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin while trying to score on a fly-out by Luis Valbuena during the third inning of a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, June 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

• Los Angeles Angels’ David Fletcher, left, is tagged out at home by Toronto Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin while trying to score on a ball hit by Luis Valbuena during the third inning of a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, June 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Justin Upton reacts after striking out against the Toronto Blue Jays during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, June 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

• Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Marcus Stroman celebrates after Los Angeles Angels’ David Fletcher grounded out during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, June 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Luis Valbuena celebrates his home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the eighth inning of a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, June 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

• Los Angeles Angels’ Luis Valbuena rounds the bases after a home run off Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Seunghwan Oh, of South Korea, during the eighth inning of a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, June 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

• Toronto Blue Jays’ Steve Pearce celebrates his three-run home run next to Los Angeles Angels catcher Jose Briceno during the ninth inning of a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, June 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

• Toronto Blue Jays’ Steve Pearce rounds the bases on a three-run home run off Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Justin Anderson during the ninth inning of a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, June 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

• Toronto Blue Jays’ Steve Pearce celebrates in the dugout after his three-run home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the ninth inning of a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, June 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

• Toronto Blue Jays’ Steve Pearce, second from left, celebrates at the dugout after his three-run home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the ninth inning of a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, June 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

• Toronto Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin, left, and relief pitcher Ryan Tepera celebrate the team’s 4-1 win against the Los Angeles Angels during a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, June 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

• Toronto Blue Jays’ Steve Pearce hits a three-run home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the ninth inning of a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Saturday, June 23, 2018. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

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ANAHEIM — The Angels had zero margin for error Saturday. They walked a tightrope into the late innings against the Toronto Blue Jays and couldn’t complete their journey without a slip at a pivotal moment, when it mattered most and the game was on the line.

Steve Pearce hit a tiebreaking three-run homer off reliever Justin Anderson with two outs in the ninth inning and the Blue Jays ended the Angels’ three-game winning streak with a 4-1 victory in front of 40,612 at Angel Stadium. Pearce drove a 2-and-2 pitch just inside the left-field foul pole.

Toronto’s Ryan Tepera then threw a scoreless bottom of the ninth and the Angels fell to 20-20 at the Big A this season. The Angels managed only one run and nine hits off Blue Jays right-hander Marcus Stroman and four relievers.

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“He wasn’t missing by much, but he was missing,” Manager Mike Scioscia said of Anderson (1-2). “It’s not uncommon for a young pitcher to come up and maybe they’re used to striking guys out and they’ll have to throw a lot of extra pitches. They’ll throw 25-30 pitches in an inning and it tires you out.

“That’s where we are with Justin.”

It seemed like ancient history by game’s end, but Jaime Barria gave the Angels what they needed with his 10th start for their injury-depleted rotation. The rookie right-hander went five innings and gave up one run and four hits with five strikeouts and four walks.

He didn’t exactly make anyone forget Cy Young.

Or even Shohei Ohtani.

What he did was give the Angels a chance to win.

He also ensured their bullpen wasn’t overextended.

Ohtani is one of four starters on the disabled list, so the Angels’ rotation has been a patchwork collection of starters. Barria would be in the minor leagues if not for injuries to Ohtani (elbow), Garret Richards (hamstring), Matt Shoemaker (forearm) and Nick Tropeano (shoulder).

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The Angels’ bullpen hasn’t avoided injuries, with Keynan Middleton (elbow) and Jim Johnson (back) on the DL. Scioscia has mixed and matched relievers, crossed his fingers and hoped for the best. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

“It’s kind of an eclectic group right now,” he acknowledged before the game.

Barria stepped up and avoided one potentially troublesome inning after another. The Blue Jays had runners on base in each of his five innings, but he gave up only a solo homer to Teoscar Hernandez with one out in the third inning, one of four hits he allowed.

Valbuena made sure Barria’s night wasn’t a total loss, slamming a 1-2 pitch from Blue Jays reliever Seunghwan Oh high over the right-field fence for the game-tying home run with two outs in the eighth inning.

Barria’s teammates also aided him with inning-ending double plays in the third and fifth innings. He yielding to reliever Cam Bedrosian to start the sixth after throwing 93 pitches, including 49 for strikes. His career high is 96 pitches, set in a no-decision May 15 against the Houston Astros.

Barria had trouble locating his fastball in the early innings, which he said accounted for the walks. He went into the game with only 10 walks. He said he made adjustments after the third inning, including pointing his shoulder at home plate, a mistake in his delivery.

“I tried to keep my shoulder in to keep the ball down,” he said through an interpreter.

Stroman, back in the Toronto rotation after an extended stay on the DL because of shoulder fatigue, blanked the Angels on six hits through five innings. Ian Kinsler, Albert Pujols and Martin Maldonado weren’t in the lineup, and the Angels seemed like easy pickings.

The Angels got runners on base, but they couldn’t score against Stroman, who was 0-5 with 7.71 ERA before Toronto placed him on the DL on May 9. Stroman had five strikeouts and one walk in his first game since giving up five runs and nine hits in a 5-0 loss to the Seattle Mariners.

David Fletcher tried to tag up and score on Valbuena’s fly to short center, but the Blue Jays’ Kevin Pillar threw him out for the final out of the third inning. It was the Angels’ best chance at scoring against Stroman before he made way for reliever Aaron Loup to start the sixth.

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