Taylor Ward crushed a three-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Los Angeles Angels to a dramatic 8-5 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday, avoiding a series sweep.
With the game tied at 5, Nolan Schanuel doubled with one out in the ninth before Mike Trout was intentionally walked. Ward then stepped up and launched a no-doubt homer to left off left-hander Tyler Alexander (4-10), setting a new career high with his 26th home run of the season.
Kenley Jansen (4-2) tossed a scoreless ninth inning to earn the win for Los Angeles.
The game began with Chicago jumping to a quick 5-0 lead. Colson Montgomery had a breakout game, hitting a three-run homer in the first inning and adding an RBI single in the third. Luis Robert Jr. also chipped in with an RBI single to open the scoring.
However, the Angels chipped away at the deficit, starting with Zach Neto’s leadoff home run in the sixth. Ward added an RBI single in that inning, and Trout scored on a wild pitch to cut the deficit to 5-3. In the seventh, Neto struck again with a two-run double to tie the game.
Key Moment:
In the ninth, lefty Tyler Alexander was brought in to face left-handed batter Schanuel, but Schanuel doubled to right field to spark the game-winning rally, setting the stage for Ward’s walk-off.
Key Stat:
Colson Montgomery now has seven home runs — all coming in the last 10 games — through just 24 career games since making his MLB debut on July 4.
Up Next:
The White Sox head to Seattle, where right-hander Davis Martin (3-8, 3.83 ERA) is slated to start Monday night. The Angels stay home to host the Tampa Bay Rays, with left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (4-7, 3.30 ERA) taking the mound.
