The Arizona Diamondbacks secured a 5-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday afternoon at Angel Stadium, preventing a three-game sweep before the All-Star break. Jose Herrera delivered a pivotal two-run double during a four-run fourth inning that helped Arizona snap a skid and notch its fourth win in its last 12 games.
Batting from the ninth spot in the lineup, Herrera was part of a productive bottom half of the Diamondbacks’ order that featured Blaze Alexander, who contributed two hits from the eighth position. Arizona improved to 47-50 with the win, while Los Angeles slipped back to 47-49.
Merrill Kelly (8-5) started for Arizona and overcame early control issues to limit the Angels to one run on one hit across five innings. Kelly issued four walks — two to the first three batters he faced — but struck out six and kept the damage minimal after giving up a third-inning RBI single to Mike Trout.
Los Angeles initially held a 1-0 lead, but a key error and timely Diamondbacks hitting turned the tide in the fourth inning. Eugenio Suárez’s ground ball to third base was mishandled by Yoan Moncada, who has been managing knee discomfort in recent games. The error set the stage for Arizona’s rally. Suárez later delivered a game-tying groundout, followed by an RBI double from Alexander and a two-run double to the left-center gap by Herrera that put Arizona ahead 4-1.
Suárez contributed in the fifth inning with another RBI double, giving the Diamondbacks a four-run cushion. Angels starter José Soriano (6-7) was tagged with five runs over five innings of work, though only one was earned due to Moncada’s miscue. Soriano walked three and struck out four.
The Angels, who were looking to complete what would have been their third home sweep since June, could not generate consistent offense after Trout’s run-scoring hit. Their bullpen held Arizona scoreless over the final four frames, but the early damage proved too much to overcome.
Defensively, Moncada was replaced in the sixth inning by Kevin Newman after his early error and continued struggles in the field, a move likely influenced by his ongoing knee soreness. That defensive lapse proved costly as the Diamondbacks capitalized to seize control.
The outing added to Kelly’s strong track record following team losses. The Arizona right-hander has now posted a 5-1 record with a 2.67 ERA in 11 starts following a defeat, with opponents hitting under .200 in those games.
Following the All-Star break, both teams will return to action on Friday. Arizona will open a home series against the St. Louis Cardinals, while Los Angeles will begin a road trip with a series in Philadelphia against the Phillies. Probable starters for those games have yet to be announced.
