Jared Jones pitched six scoreless innings, and Jake Mangum delivered an RBI double as the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Los Angeles Angels 1-0 on Friday night.
Jones allowed three hits while striking out nine, and Pittsburgh’s bullpen completed a four-hit shutout. Konnor Griffin scored the game’s only run in his return from the injured list as the Pirates won for the fifth time in six games.
Angels starter Ryan Johnson also delivered six strong innings but received no offensive support. Los Angeles fell to 53-88 with its 10th loss in 11 games and was shut out for the 12th time this season.
Jones Controls Angels Over Six Innings
Jones entered the game without a win in his previous seven starts but quickly established control against Los Angeles.
The right-hander scattered three hits across six scoreless innings. He struck out nine, walked one, and threw 63 of his 91 pitches for strikes.
His most difficult situation came early.
The Angels opened the second inning with consecutive singles, giving them two runners aboard with nobody out.
Jones responded by getting Christian Moore to foul out. He then struck out Jose Siri and Adam Frazier to escape the inning without allowing a run.
Los Angeles never found a way to break through against him.
Jones improved to 3-6 and earned his first win since July 18 against Cleveland.
Griffin Scores Only Run in Return
Pittsburgh produced all the offense it needed in the bottom of the second.
Griffin reached base before Mangum drove a one-out double into right field.
The 20-year-old Griffin scored all the way from first, giving the Pirates a 1-0 advantage.
The run came in Griffin’s first game since July 6. The highly regarded rookie shortstop had been sidelined after undergoing surgery to repair a torn tendon in his left ring finger.
Pittsburgh signed Griffin to a nine-year, $140 million contract in April, the richest deal in franchise history.
His return immediately made a difference, even though the Pirates could not add to their one-run lead.
Johnson Takes Hard-Luck Loss
Johnson gave the Angels another strong start but had little margin for error.
The rookie allowed only one run and four hits over six innings. He struck out six and walked two.
Mangum’s second-inning double accounted for the only damage.
Johnson kept Pittsburgh scoreless for the remainder of his outing, giving Los Angeles repeated opportunities to tie the game.
The Angels could not capitalize.
Johnson fell to 3-8 despite continuing an impressive stretch on the mound. He has recorded a 1.67 ERA over his last six starts and has allowed no more than one run in five of those outings.
His recent performances have consistently kept Los Angeles competitive, but Friday’s lack of offense turned another quality outing into a loss.
Pirates Bullpen Protects Lead
Pittsburgh needed its bullpen to protect the smallest possible advantage after Jones completed six innings.
Wilber Dotel handled the next two frames and kept the Angels off the scoreboard.
Mason Montgomery then took over in the ninth.
Montgomery completed the shutout and recorded his ninth save of the season.
Jones, Dotel and Montgomery combined to hold Los Angeles to four hits over nine innings. The performance gave Pittsburgh its ninth shutout of the year.
The Pirates did not need another run after Mangum’s second-inning double.
Angels Offense Stalls Again
Los Angeles had its best opportunity against Jones in the second inning.
The back-to-back singles gave the Angels an immediate chance to answer Pittsburgh’s offense. Instead, Jones retired three straight hitters and preserved the lead.
That sequence proved costly as the Angels struggled to create another significant scoring opportunity.
Los Angeles finished with only four hits and failed to score for the 12th time this season.
The offensive struggles also extended an overall difficult stretch for the club.
The Angels have lost 10 of their last 11 games and entered the weekend with the worst record in Major League Baseball.
Their pitching has given them opportunities to remain competitive, particularly with Johnson’s recent improvement. The offense, however, could not provide the run needed to extend Friday’s game.
Pittsburgh Continues Strong Stretch
The Pirates did not generate much offense themselves, but their pitching made one run enough.
Mangum’s double and Griffin’s baserunning produced the decisive play in the second inning.
From there, Jones controlled the Angels through six frames before Dotel and Montgomery completed the job.
Pittsburgh has now won five of its last six games.
For Griffin, the win also marked a successful return after nearly two months away from the lineup.
For Johnson, the result was another difficult loss despite a strong start. He matched Jones for most of the night, but the Angels never recovered from Pittsburgh’s lone run.
Up Next
The series continues Saturday night in Pittsburgh.
Angels left-hander Yusei Kikuchi is scheduled to start with a 0-5 record and a 5.65 ERA.
The Pirates will counter with right-hander Braxton Ashcraft, who enters the matchup at 14-5 with a 3.59 ERA.
