Endy Rodriguez hit his first homer in his fifth major league game and five Pittsburgh pitchers combined on a five-hitter as the Pirates beat the Los Angeles Angels 3-0 on Saturday in Anaheim, Calif.
Osvaldo Bido (2-1) tossed three scoreless innings behind opener Ryan Borucki. Jose Hernandez and Carmen Mlodzinski followed with 1 2/3 innings apiece before the Angels loaded the bases with one out in the ninth against All-Star closer David Bednar.
Bednar escaped the jam for his 19th save in 20 opportunities when Trey Cabbage grounded into a double play on a comebacker to the pitcher.
Los Angeles struck out 12 times and had its four-game winning streak snapped. The Angels also had their franchise-record streak of 19 consecutive games with a home run come to an end.
Reid Detmers (2-7) struck out nine over five innings while throwing 100 pitches. He allowed two runs on six hits with two walks.
Bryan Reynolds had two hits for Pittsburgh, which won for just the second time in eight games since the All-Star break. The Pirates recorded their first shutout since May 17.
Pittsburgh broke a scoreless tie with two runs in the fifth inning. After Connor Joe doubled with one out and scored on Reynolds’ single up the middle, Reynolds moved to second on Andrew McCutchen’s groundout and scored on Carlos Santana’s double.
Gerardo Reyes replaced Detmers in the sixth inning and was greeted by Rodriguez’s leadoff homer to center field, a 415-foot blast.
The Angels loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth inning, but Matt Thaiss lined into a double play and Hunter Renfroe struck out to end the threat.
Renfroe recorded Los Angeles’ lone extra-base hit with a one-out double in the seventh, but he was stranded when Mlodzinski struck out Cabbage and pinch hitter Eduardo Escobar.
Angels center fielder Mickey Moniak singled in the fourth inning to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 13 games.
–Field Level Media
