ANAHEIM — The Angels took another small step toward respectability on Wednesday.
After snapping their seven-game losing streak on Saturday night, they can now boast a two-game winning “streak.”
Right-hander Walbert Ureña pitched six innings and the recently quiet offense came to life as the Angels beat the Chicago White Sox, 8-2, winning back-to-back games for the first time since April 17.
The Angels (15-23) won their first series since taking two of three in Cincinnati from April 10-12.
Throughout the Angels’ stretch of losses, the bullpen was an issue is some of the more disheartening games, but the offense has been consistently unproductive, so it was a relief for Manager Kurt Suzuki when the Angels scored more runs (five) in the second inning than they had in any of the previous seven games.
“It felt really good, that’s for sure,” Suzuki said. “It was nice that they kept adding on, you know. They had that big inning and then they added on a couple more and then another one there late. I thought it was a good job by them. They kept their foot on the gas and they kept going.”
Travis d’Arnaud hit a three-run homer, his first homer and his first RBIs of the season. D’Arnaud later left the game with what Suzuki described as “foot soreness.” Suzuki said d’Arnaud was going for further testing after the game.
After d’Arnaud’s homer, Bryce Teodosio then dropped a bloop double into right, and he scored on Zach Neto’s triple. Neto, who snapped out of his 0-for-23 slump on Tuesday night, also reached base with two walks.
The White Sox then gifted the Angels a run, when second baseman Chase Meidroth lost Mike Trout’s pop-up in the sun. The ball dropped as Neto scored.
In the fourth, the Angels scored two more runs, with only one hit. Neto and Vaughn Grissom walked and then Soler and Jo Adell were each hit by pitches with the bases loaded.
Ureña picked up his first major league victory, allowing one run in six innings, with five strikeouts and three walks.
Ureña has a 3.48 ERA in his four starts, including three outings in which he allowed two runs or fewer.
Ureña was in control in every inning except the second, when the game threatened to get away from him.
Ureña gave up a leadoff double to Colson Montgomery, and then a bloop single to Meidroth. Andrew Benintendi then hit a fly ball to the warning track in center field, driving in a run.
After two more walks, sandwiched around an out, the bases were loaded for leadoff hitter Sam Antonacci. Ureña got him on a routine fly ball to left field. Although Ureña needed 30 pitches in the inning, he gave up just one run.
“I thought he was great,” Suzuki said. “Obviously that second inning was a little bit high stress for him. But I think to me that was the turning point of the game, getting that out and giving up one run, instead of potentially being a bigger inning. I thought that was a huge momentum swing for us.”
Ureña did not allow another hit, and he faced the minimum 12 hitters over the next four innings.
“I just tried to be patient, attacking the zone early,” Ureña said. “My sinker and changeup worked really good. And my four-seamer too. I think that’s very good.”
Although Ureña left with a six-run lead and only nine outs for the bullpen, there was still some drama to keep Suzuki or the fans from relaxing too much.
The White Sox loaded the bases against Brent Suter in the seventh, with two walks. Left-hander Drew Pomeranz, who has been at the center of the bullpen’s struggles lately, then hit a batter to force in a run, bringing up slugger Munetaka Murakami. Murakami had hit a go-ahead three-run homer against Pomeranz last week in Chicago, but this time Pomeranz struck him out.
Right-hander Chase Silseth finished the game with two scoreless innings, striking out four.
“They played well,” Suzuki said. “Pitching. Defense. Great plays made. Timely offense. Big hits. Using the whole field. It was great.”