Taylor Ward hit a two-run home run, Griffin Canning pitched seven solid innings, and the Los Angeles Angels defeated the Oakland Athletics 5-1 on Monday night.
Ward’s homer in the first inning gave the Angels an early 2-0 lead. He also made a spectacular leaping catch at the wall in the ninth inning, repeating a similar play he made at Dodger Stadium on Saturday.
“Very impressive,” Angels manager Ron Washington commented on Ward’s performance. “His contribution in the first inning was crucial, and his defensive play in the ninth inning helped stop their momentum.”
Zach Neto, Luis Rengifo, and Willie Calhoun each had two hits, with Neto scoring twice.
The Angels, who rank 25th in the majors in runs scored per game with 4.03, scored more than enough runs on Monday, largely due to Canning’s strong pitching.
Canning (3-8) allowed just one earned run over seven innings, striking out five and keeping the Athletics at bay with only five hits, including Tyler Nevin’s home run in the second inning. He consistently stayed ahead in the count.
“I’m really proud of that,” Canning said of his performance. “That’s what we emphasize, and I haven’t always executed it well this year. So, I’m very pleased.”
The Athletics have now lost three consecutive games and four of their last five, while the Angels had previously lost three of their last four games. In the third inning, the Angels scored two more runs with Logan O’Hoppe’s sacrifice fly and a run scoring on an error.
Luis Medina, who made his major league debut for Oakland in Anaheim a year ago, was pulled after pitching three innings. Medina (1-3) gave up four runs, three of which were earned, and struck out four batters.
“He had no control tonight,” Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said. “It’s tough when you go out there, struggle with your command, and can’t execute pitches. He gave it his all. Eighty pitches in three innings is a lot of work to give up four runs.”
