ANAHEIM — A game that began in disturbingly familiar fashion ended with a much needed change for the Angels.
After trailing by three runs before they took their first at-bat of the night, the Angels rallied for a 6-5 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday night.
The Angels had lost nine of their previous 10 games and four in a row, without holding a single lead in any of the four straight losses.
They snapped their 42-inning lead-less streak in the seventh inning on Monday, when they broke a tie by scoring two runs on a wild pitch.
An inning earlier, they had tied the score on Logan O’Hoppe’s RBI groundout and a single by Cole Tucker, who was playing his first game with the Angels.
The Angels also got a boost from Jo Adell, who hit a first-inning homer in his debut in the No. 2 spot in the lineup.
Relievers Matt Moore and Carlos Estévez held the lead over the final two innings. Estévez gave up a run but then struck out former Angel Brandon Marsh to end it, stranding the tying run at second.
The victory provided some relief for a team desperate to show it isn’t as bad as it has looked recently.
“I just hope that fans don’t give up on us, because they don’t need to be front-runners,” Manager Ron Washington said before the game. “We’re gonna put some quality baseball together here before it’s over with. And once we start putting that quality baseball together, they’re going to want to come to the ballpark.”
Washington acknowledged that the Angels have not been playing up to expectations. Even though no one outside the organization expected them to be contenders, Washington believed they would play better than they have.
“I know we may not have the best personnel in the world, but we can play better baseball,” Washington said. “And that’s all we want, to play better baseball. The rest of it will take care of itself.”
Washington held a meeting after Sunday’s blowout loss to the Minnesota Twins, and it didn’t look like it made a difference the way Monday’s game started.
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Right-hander Griffin Canning gave up three runs in the first, including a hit batter and a walk. The Angels have allowed 28 first-inning runs in 29 games, the third most in baseball.
Canning walked five in his five-inning outing, allowing four runs.
The fourth run scored in the fifth inning, on a gift from the Angels.
With runners at the corners and Bryce Harper at the plate, Canning threw over twice to try to pick off the speedy Trea Turner at first base.
On the 3-and-2 pitch – one on which Turner certainly might have been running – Canning made a third pickoff throw. Under the pitch timer rules instituted last year, a third disengagement from the rubber during one plate appearance is a balk unless the runner is picked off. Turner was safe and then Kyle Schwarber trotted home with a run to put the Phillies ahead, 4-2.
More to come on this story.