Angels’ Walbert Ureña pitches career-high 7 innings in loss to Diamondbacks

PHOENIX — Mike Trout looked everything like an All-Star that early voting returns project.

Walbert Ureña probably deserved better.

But a tainted run, an unearned run and a home run that clanked off the right field foul pole negated their best efforts in a 4-3 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the opener of a three-game series on Monday night.

Donovan Walton’s solo homer with two outs in the ninth inning brought the Angels close, but Paul Sewald struck out Oswald Peraza for his 18th save. The Angels have seven total.

“I thought he pitched well,” Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said of Ureña. “Heck of a job tonight.”

Trout, a favorite here, too, singled and scored in the first for a quick 1-0 lead, was hit by a pitch – to boos from even the home crowd – in the third, and homered in the fifth to tie the score at 2-2.

But Pavin Smith’s homer off Ureña that hit the foul pole with one out in the seventh triggered a two-run inning that took only a little luster off Ureña’s 11th start.

“It was a pretty good changeup,” Ureña said of the pitch to Smith.

Ureña (4-5) worked a career-high seven innings, and pounded the strike zone, leading with his 98 mph two-seamer.

He walked two and hit one, and generally showed the command that seemed to elude him despite winning three of his last four starts, when he walked 14 in his last 22 innings.

“Last time out, he threw a lot (a career-high 107) of pitches,” Suzuki said. “This one, really efficient. Attacked the strike zone. Changeups. Sweepers. Sinkers. I thought he pitched.”

Ureña struck out three and got 11 ground ball outs, which kept his pitch count at a tidy 79 entering the seventh, when the Diamondbacks scored twice to win the game for Ryne Nelson (3-5).

“I said the other day I was trying to change a couple of things on my mechanics, and today felt great,” Ureña said. “I mean, everything worked.”

The Angels had 10 hits off Nelson, who features a 98 mph fastball, but did not bunch them, going 0 for 3 with runners in scoring position. They had two runners on base in an inning once, after Trout was hit by a pitch in the third and Jo Adell hit a two-out single to put runners on the corners. Nolan Schanuel grounded out to end the inning.

“We had our chances, opportunities, and the other guy made pitches, too,” Suzuki said. “The at-bats, approach-wise, trying to get on top of the fastball. I thought the at-bats were OK.”

The Angels’ seemingly nightly injury scare came early, and it led to a tainted run in the first when Trout scored after Jo Adell turned a 98 mph four-seamer from Nelson into a two-out, RBI double down the right field line.

With Geraldo Perdomo on first after a one-out walk in the first, the D-backs scored after a nasty collision between second baseman Peraza and right fielder Adell led to a run.

Peraza, who appeared to call for the ball, caught Corbin Carroll’s foul pop fly near the warning track along the right field line but went down after Adell slid into him. Peraza stayed on the field for several minutes before trainer Mike Frostad came out to help.

Perdomo, meanwhile, took second, then third, when Peraza’s throw from a sitting position rolled into the infield and no one could get to it. Gabriel Moreno followed with a ground ball to deep third base that was scored a single when Denzer Guzman’s throw pulled Nolan Schanuel off the bag to the second base side.

Another misplay led to the Diamondbacks’ second run when they broke the 1-1 tie in the fourth. Carroll singled to right to open the inning, stole second and took third when catcher Logan O’Hoppe’s throw went into center field.

Lourdes Gurriel, activated from the injured list before the game, dropped a 64.9 mph single into right for a 2-1 lead.

Trout’s opposite-field homer tied it at 2-2 in the fifth.

The Angels had a scoring chance in the sixth when Guzman singled with one out, but he was picked off by Nelson before O’Hoppe’s double to center. Walton struck out to end the inning.