OC Register: Angels rally for 10th inning victory after blowing the lead in the ninth

[AngelsWin.com]

ANAHEIM — Hansel Robles took the mound looking for a save, but his teammates saved him.

After the Angels’ struggling closer gave up three runs in the top of the ninth to cough up a two-run lead, the Angels rallied to beat the Houston Astros 5-4 in 10 innings on Saturday.

The comeback helped them avoid what would have been a nightmarish loss, after Robles allowed a Josh Reddick solo homer and a two-out two-run homer by George Springer.

Trailing by a run, the Angels went to work in the bottom of the inning when Luis Rengifo singled off the arm of closer Roberto Osuna with one out. Osuna had to come out of the game.

Facing Cy Sneed, Jason Castro then blasted a double off the center field fence, tying the game.

In the 10th, Noé Ramirez and Ryan Buchter navigated around the Astros free runner in scoring position. Buchter struck out Abraham Toro with the bases loaded to end it.

In the bottom of the inning, David Fletcher singled to right, sending Matt Thaiss to third. After Brian Goodwin struck out and Anthony Rendon was intentionally walked to load the bases, Michael Hermosillo hit a fly ball to right field to drive in the winning run. The ball wasn’t very deep, but Reddick’s throw was off line.

It was the Angels second run through baseball’s new extra-innings rule, and their first victory.

The victory allowed the Angels to escape on a day that they saw once again their closer position is unsettled.

Robles has allowed nine earned runs in 3-2/3 innings this season, as his velocity has been down. Last year he had a 2.48 ERA.

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Although he had not pitched well, the Angels put him in position for a save on Saturday after a strong start by Griffin Canning and two clean innings from Felix Peña.

Canning was charged with one run in six-plus innings. He had not allowed a run when he walked off the mound in the seventh, but Peña allowed an inherited runner to score.

The Angels didn’t do much offensively to support Canning, but they did score a pair of runs in a rally built on solid fundamental baseball.

After the Angels failed to manage a baserunner against Zack Greinke in the first five innings, Taylor Ward pulled a single into right with one out in the sixth. Thaiss then executed a hit-and-run, pulling the ball through the hole vacated by second baseman Jose Altuve and sending Ward to third.

Fletcher hit a sacrifice fly, to drive in Ward, and Thaiss alertly went from first to second when the throw went to the plate. Thaiss was then able to score on Goodwin’s single into right.

Ward helped generate an insurance run in the eighth, leading off with a triple and scoring on a two-out infield hit by Rendon.

More to come on this story.

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[Angel Oracle]

Pena needs a bigger role in the pen.   He's got the stuff.   Maybe groom him to be a part-time closer, part-time multi-innings guy?

LOL at tying the game off of a guy named Cy

Edited August 2, 2020 by Angel Oracle