Albert Pujols and David Fletcher came up with key hits as the Los Angeles Angels scored five runs in the eighth inning to defeat the Baltimore Orioles 6-2 Saturday afternoon at Camden Yards.
The Orioles held a 2-1 lead before Pujols tied it off Mychal Givens (0-6) with a double to right-center. Two batters later, pinch hitter Chris Young reached on a fielder's choice against lefty Tanner Scott that drove in the go-ahead run.
Scott later hit Martin Maldonado, and that forced in the run to make it 4-2. Fletcher followed with a two-run double.
Justin Anderson (2-2) earned the victory with 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief to hand the Orioles a seventh straight loss.
For the Angels, starter Tyler Skaggs allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits in his five innings of work and finished June giving up only three earned runs in five starts. He finished June with a 0.84 ERA for the month.
On Saturday, Skaggs allowed only one hit after the first inning.
Baltimore starter Andrew Cashner went six innings and held the Angels to one run on four hits. Cashner was trying to break a three-game losing streak, and he has now gone six straight starts without a win.
The Orioles took a quick 2-0 lead in the first. Their first three batters singled, the last being a grounder to left from Manny Machado for the game's first run. Left fielder Justin Upton bobbled the ball, letting Machado go to second and Adam Jones move to third. Danny Valencia followed with a sacrifice fly.
The Angels cut it to 2-1 in the fourth. Upton lined a one-out double to right-center, moved to third on a Pujols grounder and scored when Andrelton Simmons singled.
Los Angeles threatened in the fifth, loading the bases with two outs, but Cashner struck out Upton after falling behind in the count, 3-0.
The Orioles then held the lead until the Angels rallied in the eighth. Los Angeles had previously lost 32 of 34 games when trailing after seven innings this season.
--Field Level Media
LA Angels | Baltimore | |
Tyler Skaggs | Player | Andrew Cashner |
No Decision | W/L | No Decision |
5.0 | IP | 6.0 |
6 | Strikeouts | 4 |
4 | Hits | 4 |
1.80 | ERA | 1.50 |
LA Angels | Baltimore | |
Ian Kinsler | Player | Tim Beckham |
2 | Hits | 2 |
0 | RBI | 0 |
0 | HR | 0 |
3 | TB | 2 |
.667 | Avg | .500 |