ANAHEIM — Angels pitchers finally got some of the big outs that have been so hard to come by during this frustrating season.
The Angels escaped three bases-loaded jams, allowing them to hang on to a 5-2 victory over the Texas Rangers on Saturday night.
Angels starter Walbert Ureña got out of two bases-loaded jams with strikeouts of Jake Burger. In the eighth inning, reliever José Fermin loaded the bases before getting out of the mess with a strikeout and a fly ball.
“It’s making big pitches when it counts,” manager Kurt Suzuki said. “I feel like executing and all that kind of stuff comes into play. Keeping your composure on the mound in those big spots comes into play. Definitely nice to see growth in that area. So, we’ve just got to keep it going.”
The Rangers were 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position, and they left 11 runners on base. It was the kind of night the Angels’ hitters have suffered through in many of their losses over the past month.
Maybe it’s a sign that things are starting to turn for them. The Angels (19-34) have now won consecutive games for the first time since May 5-6, which was also the last time they won a series. On Sunday, they have a chance at their first sweep of the season.
In the first two games they beat Rangers’ co-aces Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi.
“Had a good plan coming in, and we executed it,” said Mike Trout, who got the Angels going with a two-run homer in the first inning. “Just having good at-bats, putting the ball in play. If you look over the last two nights, that’s what we’ve been doing.”
The Angels struck out only three times on Friday and only six times on Saturday, both well below their average.
The Angels added to their lead in the fifth, when Nolan Schanuel yanked a two-out RBI double down the right field line. Schanuel, who had tweaked his calf earlier in the game, limped toward second and came out of the game an inning later. He said he’s day to day.
The Angels finally got some breathing room in the eighth, as they strung together three singles and a walk. Oswald Peraza pulled a ground ball past the drawn-in infield to drive in the runs.
The cushion helped Kirby Yates have less stress in the ninth, when he pitched a 1-2-3 inning to convert his first save in an Angels uniform.
Yates locked up the victory for Ureña, who had plenty of stress on a night that he gave up five hits and walked three. Fortunately for the Angels, he had Burger’s number. The Rangers’ first baseman came up with two outs and the bases loaded in the third and fifth innings.
Ureña struck him out both times, and in the fifth Burger flung his bat to the backstop as he whiffed on a changeup.
“That’s the best pitch I have, other than my sinker,” Ureña said. “I have a lot of confidence in my changeup. I can throw it whenever I want, so it’s very good.”
Suzuki said the two jams that Ureña escaped represented an important moment for his development.
“I thought he was great,” Suzuki said. “I thought he attacked. He settled in a little bit. I thought he executed and made pitches when it counted. That’s a good hitting team over there. What he did tonight, it feels like he keeps getting more and more comfortable. The stuff is still there. It’s been fun to watch him every start.”
Getting deeper into games will be the next step for Ureña, but the Angels aren’t going to complain about where he is right now, considering he’s 22 and in his first two months as a big leaguer. Ureña has a 2.70 ERA through his first seven major league starts, and he’s allowed more than two runs only once.
The Angels had a 3-1 lead when the bullpen took over. Ryan Zeferjahn, pitching for the fourth time in six days, recorded the first three outs. Left-hander Tayler Saucedo and right-hander Chase Silseth got through the seventh, before Fermin’s high-wire act in the eighth.
Fermin was not sharp, issuing two walks to contribute to the jam, but he pulled it together when it mattered.
“That was huge,” Suzuki said. “I feel like he’s another one that’s throwing the ball better every time he gets out there. Today was obviously not the best. But for me, it was the best in terms of him keeping his composure and executing a pitch when he needed to and at the end of the day, that’s what it takes. You know you’re not going to have your best stuff all the time, and the guys that can execute and find a way to get through it without their best stuff are the guys that are successful, and I thought that was awesome tonight.”