Wild Pitch, Error by Phillies on Same Play Help Angels Snap Losing Streak

ANAHEIM, Calif.—Ehire Adrianza and Mike Trout scored on a wild pitch and a throwing error on the same seventh-inning play as the Los Angeles Angels rallied from an early three-run deficit to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6–5 Monday night, April 29, and snap a four-game losing streak.

Adrianza had two hits and drove in a run, and Jo Adell homered as the Angels won on Manager Ron Washington’s 72nd birthday.

“It just happened to be my birthday, but we certainly needed it,” Mr. Washington said.

Alec Bohm extended his hitting streak to 13 games and drove in three runs for the Phillies, whose four-game winning streak came to an end.

Five Angels’ pitchers held the Phillies to six hits, but also walked nine. Adam Cimber (2–0) escaped a bases-loaded jam in the seventh when he got Brandon Marsh to ground out to end the inning.

“That was the hugest part of the game for both sides,” Mr. Washington said. “It saved the game right there and gave us a chance to get back in it.”

Carlos Estévez picked up his fifth save in six opportunities despite allowing one run in the ninth. Trea Turner scored on Bohm’s sacrifice fly, but Estévez struck out Marsh for the final out with the potential tying run at second base.

“We had some opportunities, no doubt,“ Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. ”We’ve been coming through but just one of those nights.”

Adrianza led off the seventh with an infield single and advanced to second on Zach Neto’s base hit. Adrianza took third when Trout grounded into a fielder’s choice. Trout got into scoring position with his sixth stolen base of the season.

With two outs and an 0–2 count on Taylor Ward, Seranthony Domínguez’s 97.5 mph fastball was low and skipped to the backstop as Adrianza scored easily. Catcher Garrett Stubbs’ throw to Domínguez (1–2) at home plate was too high and allowed Trout to come in to put the Angels up by two runs.

“I think [Stubbs] wanted [the pitch] up and when he set up his glove, he was too far away to get it,” Mr. Thomson said.

The Phillies got off to a quick start with three runs in the first inning. The first three batters reached to load the bases before Bohm had a two-run base hit to left-center field and Marsh added a sacrifice fly.

Bohm, named the National League player of the week on Monday, is 26 for 51 during his hitting streak. He has 27 RBIs this month, which is tied with Ryan Howard for the modern-day franchise record for the most in April.

The Angels responded with runs in the first and second innings. Adell lined Cristopher Sánchez’s slider into the seats in the left-field corner for a solo shot in the first, and Adrianza added an RBI single in the second.

“I think we did a great job of just sticking to our approach,” said Adell, who has three homers in the past seven games. “When they made mistakes, we were able to capitalize and score some runs.”

Philadelphia extended its lead to 4–2 in the fifth when Kyle Schwarber scored after starter Griffin Canning was called for a balk when he threw to first base for a third time.

The Angels tied it with two runs in the sixth after the first two batters reached on base hits. After Logan O'Hoppe’s grounder brought in one run, Cole Tucker’s single up the middle drove in Brandon Drury to even it at 4–4.

Up Next

Angels left-hander Tyler Anderson (2–3, 1.78 earned-run average), who gets the start Tuesday night, is eighth in the majors in ERA. The Phillies will counter with right-hander Spencer Turnbull (2–0, 1.33), who has allowed only one earned run in his past two starts.