ANAHEIM — In the wake another mediocre offensive performance in the Angels’ fifth straight loss, Manager Ron Washington promised that they were doing the work that was bound to turn their fortune eventually.
It happened a day later.
The Angels got production from throughout the lineup – including a first-inning home run from leadoff man Mike Trout – in a 7-4 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night.
Washington put his star at the top of the order, a spot he hadn’t been since 2020, in an effort to “shake things up.” Trout blasted a homer on the fourth pitch he saw, marking the first time he’d led off the first inning with a homer since Sept. 28, 2012.
Trout got the Angels going, and the bottom of the lineup sparked most of the rest of the Angels’ 11-hit attack. Logan O’Hoppe, Jo Adell, Luis Rengifo and Zach Neto had two hits apiece.
The Angels (10-14) scored two in the second, two in the third and two in the fourth to take a 7-0 lead.
Five Angels players had extra-base hits that left the bat at 104 mph or harder against Grayson Rodriguez.
It could have been an easy victory, but the Orioles wouldn’t cooperate. They came into the game with a 15-7 record and averaging a league-best 5.73 runs per game.
Angels starter Griffin Canning picked up his first victory of the season by allowing three runs in five innings.
Although the final line was pedestrian, it was a second straight encouraging start for Canning after three miserable outings to begin the season.
Canning didn’t allow a hit until the fourth and he didn’t give up a run until the fifth, when the Orioles finally tagged him for three runs after the Angels had a seven-run lead.
Canning hadn’t made it through the first two innings without allowing a run in any of his previous four outings this season.
The Orioles also sent a lineup against Canning with eight players swinging from the left side, including two switch hitters. Prior to Tuesday’s game, Canning had allowed a 1.096 OPS against lefties this season.
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Canning left the Angels four innings to get out of the bullpen, which was well rested because starters José Soriano and Reid Detmers had worked six and seven innings, respectively, in the previous two games.
Right-hander Adam Cimber got through the sixth. Left-hander Matt Moore gave up a Gunnar Henderson homer in the seventh, just after he was hit by a comebacker.
Moore then gave up a single and he was pulled. Luis Garcia gave up another hit to bring the potential tying run to the plate before he retired the final two to escape with a three-run run lead.
Garcia then worked a perfect eighth and closer Carlos Estévez handled the ninth to pick up the save. It was Estévez’s first outing since his blown save a week earlier in Tampa.
More to come on this story.