Home runs by Shohei Ohtani and Taylor Ward and four scoreless innings from the bullpen were pivotal as the Los Angeles Angels rallied from a four-run deficit on their way to a 7-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night in Anaheim, Calif.
A five-run fifth inning turned the game around for Los Angeles, with Mike Trout and Matt Thaiss each coming through with a two-run single in an inning that turned a 4-1 deficit into a 6-4 lead.
Los Angeles’ lead was in jeopardy in the seventh inning when the Cubs loaded the bases with one out against Angels reliever Jacob Webb. But Chris Devenski entered the game and needed one pitch to end the threat, getting Yan Gomes to line into a double play.
Devenski struck out the side in the eighth, and Carlos Estevez pitched the ninth for his 15th save in 15 opportunities.
The Angels began their rally with Ohtani’s solo homer in the fourth, his team-leading 16th homer of the season, off Cubs starter Hayden Wesneski. Wesneski didn’t make it out of the fifth as the Angels put together a big inning thanks to a key error.
With two on and one out, Luis Rengifo hit a grounder to first baseman Matt Mervis. But instead of an inning-ending double play, Mervis booted the ball for an error, allowing the Angels to load the bases.
Wesneski struck out Ward for the second out of the inning but was replaced by Brandon Hughes (0-3), who quickly surrendered the Cubs’ lead when Ohtani walked and Trout and Thaiss hit their two-run singles.
The Cubs scored four runs against Angels starter Tyler Anderson (3-1) in the second inning, getting four hits and a walk. Seiya Suzuki started the inning with an infield single and went to third on a double by Gomes. One out later, Mike Tauchman drove in both baserunners with a single. After Patrick Wisdom walked, Mervis followed with a two-run double to put Chicago ahead 4-0.
Anderson settled in from there, getting through five innings without giving up another run. In all, Anderson allowed four runs on five hits and three walks, striking out five while throwing 94 pitches.
–Field Level Media
