Nick Tropeano and four relievers combined for a three-hitter in the Los Angeles Angels' 6-2 win over the Detroit Tigers on Monday night in Anaheim, Calif.
Tropeano (5-6) gave up just one of the hits -- a solo homer by Nick Castellanos in the first inning -- in five innings. He was replaced to start the sixth inning despite making just 62 pitches because of what the team termed shoulder tightness.
Angels reliever Cam Bedrosian escaped a bases-loaded, no-out situation in the sixth inning when Los Angeles' lead was just 4-2, helping extend Detroit's losing streak to four games.
Andrelton Simmons and Kaleb Cowart led the Angels' offense, Simmons with two hits, including a home run, and Cowart with two doubles. Jose Briceno also had two hits for Los Angeles.
The Angels were without center fielder Mike Trout for the fifth game in a row because of a right wrist contusion. He received a cortisone injection Monday, and the club hopes Trout can return by Friday.
The Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Castellanos hit a solo homer with two outs. The Angels got the run back in the bottom of the second.
Simmons singled with two outs, took third on a single by Briceno, then scored on a double by Cowart.
The Angels took the lead in the fourth inning when Albert Pujols singled and scored on a two-run homer by Simmons, his seventh of the season. Eric Young Jr. homered to lead off the fifth inning, his first of the year, and the Angels had a 4-1 lead.
Meanwhile, Tropeano settled in after allowing the first-inning run. He didn't yield a hit over the next four innings, the only Tiger to get on base during that stretch reaching on a walk.
However, after Tropeano exited because of the shoulder issue, the Tigers had a chance to get back into it. Noe Ramirez began the sixth inning, faced four batters and got none of them out. The last of the four, Jose Iglesias, drove in a run with a single to cut Detroit's deficit to 4-2.
With the bases loaded and no outs, Bedrosian entered the game and struck out Castellanos for the first out and then induced an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play from Jeimer Candelario.
The Angels added to their lead in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Young and an RBI groundout by David Fletcher to go up 6-2.
Hansel Robles pitched two hitless innings for Los Angeles before Justin Anderson struck out two in a perfect ninth inning.
--Field Level Media
Detroit | LA Angels | |
Matthew Boyd | Player | Nick Tropeano |
Loss | W/L | Win |
5.1 | IP | 5.0 |
4 | Strikeouts | 4 |
6 | Hits | 1 |
6.75 | ERA | 1.80 |
Detroit | LA Angels | |
Victor Reyes | Player | Andrelton Simmons |
1 | Hits | 2 |
0 | RBI | 2 |
0 | HR | 1 |
1 | TB | 5 |
.333 | Avg | .667 |