Shohei Ohtani's major-league-leading 37th home run gave the Angels their first lead of the night, but it was an eighth-inning RBI single by Phil Gosselin that ultimately lifted Los Angeles to an 8-7 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday in Anaheim, Calif.
Ohtani's three-run homer off Rockies reliever Jesus Tinoco was part of a five-run fourth inning for the Angels, who later took a 7-3 lead.
The Rockies battled back to tie the game at 7-7 in top of the eighth. In the bottom of the eighth, a single by David Fletcher and a walk by Ohtani set the stage for Gosselin, who singled home Fletcher on a 3-1 count to give the Angels their margin for victory.
Justin Upton and Max Stassi also homered for Los Angeles. Raimel Tapia had four hits and Trevor Story homered for Colorado.
Raisel Iglesias (7-4) pitched 1 2/3 shutout innings for the win, though he also was charged with a blown save. Carlos Estevez (2-3) took the loss.
The Rockies took the lead in the first inning. Tapia doubled to begin the game against Angels starter Andrew Heaney, then scored one out later on Story's two-run homer, his 13th long ball of the season.
The Angels answered with a run in the bottom of the first. Ohtani singled, went to second on a walk to Gosselin and scored on a two-out single by Jose Iglesias.
The Rockies increased their lead to 3-1 in the top of the fourth inning when Elias Diaz led off with a walk, went to third on a double by Ryan McMahon and scored on a wild pitch by Heaney.
The advantage only lasted until the bottom of the fourth, when the Angels erupted for five runs to take a 6-3 lead, getting the three-run homer from Ohtani and a two-run blast from Upton.
Stassi's leadoff homer in the fifth increased the Angels' lead to 7-3, but the Rockies rallied after Heaney exited following the sixth inning.
The Rockies immediately took advantage of the Los Angeles bullpen in the seventh, getting a two-run double from Tapia off reliever Steve Cishek to cut the deficit to 7-5. Colorado added a third run in the inning with the help of an error by the second baseman Fletcher.
The Rockies tied it at 7-7 in the eighth inning on an RBI single by Brendan Rodgers off Raisel Iglesias.
Heaney gave up three runs on four hits and three walks in six innings while striking out eight.
Colorado opener Lucas Gilbreath allowed a run on two hits and two walks in one inning.
--Field Level Media
Colorado | LA Angels | |
Lucas Gilbreath | Player | Andrew Heaney |
No Decision | W/L | No Decision |
1.0 | IP | 6.0 |
0 | Strikeouts | 8 |
2 | Hits | 4 |
9.00 | ERA | 4.50 |
Colorado | LA Angels | |
Raimel Tapia | Player | Shohei Ohtani |
4 | Hits | 2 |
2 | RBI | 3 |
0 | HR | 1 |
6 | TB | 5 |
.800 | Avg | .667 |