Rookie Mitch Farris delivered a strong performance in his major league debut, and Jo Adell crushed a two-run homer to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 5-1 win over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night.
Adell had a big night at the plate with three hits, including his towering 454-foot blast in the sixth inning that gave the Angels the lead. Oswald Peraza added an RBI double and later scored on a wild pitch to help Los Angeles pull away.
The Angels were without Mike Trout, who was scratched less than an hour before the game due to a skin infection on his left arm. He is considered day-to-day and will be re-evaluated on Wednesday.
Farris (1-0) overcame some early nerves after walking his first batter. The left-hander settled in to allow just one run on three hits across five innings, striking out three and walking two to earn the victory.
Kansas City’s lone run came in the third when Bobby Witt Jr. tripled and scored on Vinnie Pasquantino’s sacrifice fly. Royals starter Michael Lorenzen (5-9) carried a shutout into the sixth, but Adell’s homer flipped the game. Lorenzen finished with six innings of work, giving up two runs on four hits with five strikeouts.
Key Moment:
Lorenzen had retired 11 of 12 batters and was working on a two-hit shutout in the sixth before Adell unloaded a two-run homer to left, shifting the momentum in the Angels’ favor.
Key Stat:
Farris became the fourth Angels pitcher to make his big-league debut as a starter in Kansas City, joining Frank Tanana (1973), Jarrod Washburn (1998), and Seth Etherton (2000).
Up Next:
The Royals hand the ball to Ryan Bergert (2-1, 2.67 ERA) on Wednesday, while the Angels counter with right-hander Caden Dana (0-0, 7.50 ERA).
