Reid Detmers pitched five shutout innings and the visiting Los Angeles Angels ended their five-game losing streak with a 9-1 win over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday afternoon.
Detmers (3-3) was able to effectively change speed and location to quiet an Atlanta offense that had scored 15 runs in the previous two games of the series. The left-hander allowed three hits and two walks and struck out six in his first career appearance against the Braves.
It was the first game won by an Angels pitcher other than Shohei Ohtani since Noah Syndergaard beat the Chicago White Sox on June 27.
Los Angeles scored its highest run total since June 21, when the Angels lost to Kansas City 12-11. The Angels had 13 hits Sunday, three apiece from Taylor Ward and Max Stassi and two apiece from Luis Rengifo and Jo Adell. Stassi had a double, a triple and three RBIs.
The losing pitcher was Ian Anderson (8-6), who was knocked out after pitching three-plus innings. He allowed seven runs on eight hits, walking three and striking out two.
The Angels batted around and put five runs on the board in the first inning. Ward hit his 13th homer and the Angels followed with RBI singles from Stassi and Adell, an RBI grounder by Brandon Marsh and a run-scoring single from Andrew Velazquez.
The Angels scored three more in the fourth. Ohtani scored on Rengifo’s single and Ward scored when right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr.’s throw to third sailed wide and landed in the camera well. Stassi followed with a sacrifice fly to right.
The Braves broke up the shutout in the seventh with Acuna’s two-out single that scored William Contreras.
Atlanta’s Austin Riley went 1-for-3 and extended his league-leading hitting streak to 16 games.
Both teams made roster moves before the game. The Angels designated third baseman Jonathan Villar for assignment and recalled outfielder Magneuris Sierra. Villar made two costly errors in Saturday’s game.
The Braves placed left fielder Adam Duvall on the 10-day injured list with a sprained left wrist and recalled first baseman Mike Ford from Triple-A Gwinnett.
–Field Level Media