CHICAGO (AP) — Mike Trout homered, doubled and scored three runs, Michael Lorenzen pitched into the ninth inning and the Los Angeles Angels held off the Chicago White Sox 6-5 Sunday for their seventh win in eight games.
Shohei Ohtani had an RBI as the Angels’ designated hitter. The two-way AL MVP went 0 for 3 and exited in the ninth inning because of tightness in his right groin.
Manager Joe Maddon said Ohtani might have tweaked his groin running to first in the seventh inning on a grounder back to pitcher Jose Ruiz that the White Sox turned into a double play.
Through a translator Ohtani said, “I was taken out for safety reasons. I was perfectly OK with it.”
The Japanese-born star said he expects to play on Monday in Chicago against the White Sox.
Trout walked in three other plate appearances. Andrew Velazquez and Jo Adell each doubled in a run and Anthony Rendon each had an RBI as the Angels took a 6-0 lead.
Despite batting .344 — and a major-league leading 1.247 OPS — Trout says he’s still not completely comfortable at the plate yet.
“Some pitches I’m feeling good and some pitches I don’t,” Trout said. “Today I felt pretty good out there.”
So did Lorenzen (3-1), who took a bid for his first career complete game into the ninth before the White Sox scored five times in a wild finish.
Ryan Tepera, the Angels’ third pitcher of the inning, retired Gavin Sheets on a bases-loaded grounder for the final out. Chicago has lost 11 of 13.
Lorenzen gave up singles to Jose Abreu and Sheets singled to begin the ninth, then was pulled with one out after Leury Garcia’s two-run double.
Reliever Raisel Iglesias allowed an RBI double by Josh Harrison and singles to Tim Anderson and Luis Robert as Chicago closed to 6-4. Iglesias walked Yasmani Grandal to load the bases with two outs…
Leave a Reply