Left-hander Tyler Anderson pitched seven scoreless innings, and Aaron Hicks homered and drove in two runs, leading the Los Angeles Angels past the host Miami Marlins 3-1 on Tuesday night.
Anderson, an All-Star with the Dodgers when he went 15-5 with a 2.57 ERA in 2022, held the Marlins to just four hits and two walks. He struck out five batters in his season debut.
Hicks went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in the fourth and an RBI single in the sixth.
Angels rookie shortstop Zach Neto — who is a native of Miami — had a good night, going 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored. He also made a standout defensive play in the sixth with one on and one out, robbing Josh Bell of a hit. Neto went into the hole, scooped Bell’s grounder with a sliding backhand, and made a sensational throw to first.
Angels manager Ron Washington, who called a team meeting after his squad got routed by the Baltimore Orioles in the first two games of the season, has seen his team win three straight contests.
Miami, which has started the season 0-6, got a solo homer from Bryan De La Cruz with one out in the ninth.
Marlins starter Jesus Luzardo (0-1) allowed four hits, two walks and three runs in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out five.
The Angels opened the scoring in the fourth inning on Hicks’ opposite-field homer down the line in right. The exit velocity registered at 104.1 mph, and it had just enough distance at 365 feet.
Los Angeles extended its lead to 3-0 in the sixth. Neto doubled down the left field line, advanced on Anthony Rendon’s flyout to the warning track in center and scored on Hicks’ single.
Miami brought in reliever Bryan Hoeing, who allowed singles to Mike Trout and Taylor Ward, with the latter hit driving home Hicks.
The Marlins escaped further damage as Ward was caught stealing and Miguel Sano struck out looking.
With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Angels reliever Luis Garcia gave up De La Cruz’s homer and then walked Jazz Chisholm Jr. But Garcia got a groundout and a strikeout to end the game.
–Field Level Media