Angels 4, Nationals 2: Pinch hitter Raul Ibanez hit a tiebreaking three-run double in the eighth inning as visiting Los Angeles upended Washington in the opener of a three-game set.
Erick Aybar collected three hits and drove in a run for Los Angeles, which rebounded from a four-error performance in Sunday’s 2-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers. Fernando Salas (1-0) worked around a two-out walk in the seventh after starter Garrett Richards allowed only one hit in six innings while Ernesto Frieri gave up Ian Desmond’s solo homer and a walk in the ninth before striking out the side for his second save.
Adam LaRoche went 1-for-4 and contributed an RBI groundout while Jose Lobaton singled as Washington mustered only three hits off four Angels’ pitchers. Tyler Clippard (1-2) paid the price for poor defense in the eighth with four unearned runs thanks to two throwing errors by Desmond.
Washington starter Tanner Roark left the bases loaded in the second, got a double play to help him through the third and stranded a pair of runners in the fourth to keep Los Angeles off the board through seven frames. The Nationals plated their only run in the fourth as Richards walked a pair and hit Jayson Werth with a pitch before LaRoche’s chopper enabled Denard Span to cross.
The Angels finally broke through in the eighth as Albert Pujols reached on Desmond’s first error, stole second and advanced to third on Howie Kendrick’s one-out infield single. Aybar knotted the game with a single and Ibanez followed a walk to Chris Iannetta with a line drive to the gap in left-center, which cleared the bases and allowed Iannetta to score easily as Desmond’s throw to home from shallow left was well off line.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Desmond has committed nine of Washington’s 22 errors, both of which lead the majors. … Pujols went 0-for-5 to remain stuck at 498 career homers. … Roark, who scattered seven hits and walked two over 6 2/3 innings, settled for his third straight no-decision.
LA Angels | Washington | |
Garrett Richards | Player | Tanner Roark |
No Decision | W/L | No Decision |
6.0 | IP | 6.2 |
6 | Strikeouts | 5 |
1 | Hits | 7 |
1.50 | ERA | 0.00 |
LA Angels | Washington | |
Erick Aybar | Player | Jose Lobaton |
3 | Hits | 1 |
1 | RBI | 0 |
0 | HR | 0 |
4 | TB | 1 |
.750 | Avg | .500 |
Team | Hits | HR | TB | Avg | LOB | K | RBI | BB | SB | Errors |
LA Angels | 12 | 0 | 14 | .316 | 18 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
Washington | 3 | 1 | 6 | .103 | 14 | 11 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 2 |