OC Register: Angels edge Orioles after blowing early 6-run lead

[AngelsWin.com]

ANAHEIM — A victory that should have been about Jo Adell’s bat ended up being decided by Taylor Ward’s eye.

Either way, the Angels will take it.

After losing the first two games of the series and blowing a first-inning six-run lead, the Angels beat the Baltimore Orioles 7-6 on Sunday afternoon.

It was much closer than it should have been after Adell’s first-inning grand slam sent the Angels on the way to a 6-0 lead.

But starter José Suarez was shaky, as were relievers Aaron Loup and Austin Warren, allowing the Orioles to tie the score in the seventh.

In the bottom of the inning, the Angels re-took the lead. Shohei Ohtani singled. An out later, Anthony Rendon drew his third walk of the game. Jared Walsh then got hit in the elbow guard by a pitch, loading the bases for Ward.

Although Ward fell behind 1-and-2 against hard-throwing right-hander Felix Bautista, he battled to draw a bases-loaded walk. It was his third walk of the game.

Ward is hitting .346 with a .528 on-base percentage since he was activated from the injured list eight games ago.

Ward also drew a first-inning walk to load the bases for Adell.

Adell had only been inserted into the lineup because Brandon Marsh was a late scratch with a stomach issue. He got a 2-and-1 cutter over the outer half from right-hander Travis Lakins Sr., and he jacked it over the right-field fence.

Since starting the season hitless in nine at-bats, Adell is 12 for 40 (.300) with three homers.

That gave Suarez a 6-0 lead, but he didn’t pitch well.

Suarez had his third straight middling start to begin the season. He allowed three runs in 4-1/3 innings, all of them on a Trey Mancini homer in the third inning.

So far Suarez has pitched exactly 4-1/3 innings in each of his starts, and he’s allowed two or three runs.

On Sunday he had a couple stretches when he seemed to be in control, retiring seven in a row and then five in a row, but he was pulled after a walk and a bunt single in the fifth.

That left plenty of work for the Angels bullpen, and they couldn’t get the job done.

In the seventh inning, Aaron Loup issued a walk to Cedric Mullins and then hit Anthony Santander with a pitch. Right-hander Austin Warren gave up a run-scoring single to Ryan Mountcastle and then a two-run homer to Austin Hays, tying the game 6-6.

After the Angels took the lead, Jimmy Herget and Archie Bradley worked the final two innings. Closer Raisel Iglesias did not get loose.

More to come on this story.

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[AngelsLakersFan]

Quote

OC Register: Angels edge Orioles after blowing early

Gross

[Vegas Halo Fan]

My wife and I were watching the game in the first inning. She said "Your team really seems to be doing well today." I told her that there was still time for the legendary Angels bullpen to blow the lead.