Noah Cameron allowed only one hit over nine innings as the Kansas City Royals shut out the Los Angeles Angels 3-0 on Sunday.
Cameron carried a perfect game into the sixth and a no-hitter into the seventh before Vaughn Grissom recorded the Angels’ only hit. Michael Massey and Bobby Witt Jr. provided solo home runs for Kansas City, while Carter Jensen added an RBI single.
Angels starter Ryan Johnson allowed two runs over 5 1/3 innings, but Los Angeles could not provide any offensive support against Cameron.
Cameron Dominates Angels Lineup
Cameron controlled the game from the opening inning and retired the first 15 Angels he faced.
The left-hander did not allow a baserunner until Oswald Peraza drew a leadoff walk in the sixth. It ended Cameron’s perfect-game bid but did little to disrupt his rhythm.
Peraza moved to second on Travis d’Arnaud’s groundout. Cameron then struck out Josh Lowe before getting Zach Neto to ground out to second, ending the Angels’ first scoring opportunity.
Cameron returned for the seventh with his no-hitter still intact.
He struck out Mike Trout to begin the inning before Grissom singled high over the head of Witt. The hit ended Cameron’s no-hit bid and gave Los Angeles its only hit of the afternoon.
The Angels could not build on Grissom’s single.
Cameron completed all nine innings, throwing 115 pitches. He struck out eight and walked one while improving to 7-8.
Massey Opens Scoring With Homer
Johnson matched Cameron early and kept Kansas City scoreless through the first three innings.
Massey finally broke the tie in the fourth.
The Royals infielder connected for a solo home run to put Kansas City ahead 1-0.
Witt added another run one inning later.
His solo homer in the fifth extended the Royals’ advantage to 2-0 and gave Cameron more room to work with as he continued shutting down the Angels.
Johnson limited the damage despite Kansas City collecting five hits against him.
The Angels right-hander completed 5 1/3 innings, allowing two earned runs. He struck out four and walked two before leaving the game.
Johnson took the loss and fell to 2-7.
Jensen Adds Insurance Run
Kansas City added its final run in the seventh inning.
Jensen delivered an RBI single to make it 3-0, providing Cameron with another insurance run for the final three frames.
The Royals did not need any more offense.
Cameron’s command and ability to avoid hard contact prevented Los Angeles from putting together a serious comeback attempt.
The Angels had only two baserunners in the entire game. Peraza reached on the sixth-inning walk, while Grissom supplied the seventh-inning single.
Neither advanced far enough to score.
Angels Unable to Solve Cameron
Los Angeles had few answers against Cameron throughout the afternoon.
The Angels went through the first five innings without putting anyone on base. Even after Peraza broke up the perfect game in the sixth, Cameron quickly shut down the threat.
Grissom’s single an inning later ended the possibility of a no-hitter, but it did not lead to a rally.
Cameron retired the Angels without allowing another hit and completed the game himself rather than turning the lead over to Kansas City’s bullpen.
His eight strikeouts included Trout leading off the seventh, immediately before Grissom recorded Los Angeles’ lone hit.
The complete-game performance allowed Kansas City to finish the afternoon without using a reliever.
Royals Power Provides Enough Support
With Cameron controlling the Angels, Kansas City needed little offense to secure the win.
Massey and Witt supplied the biggest swings with solo homers in consecutive innings.
Massey’s fourth-inning shot broke the scoreless tie, while Witt doubled the lead in the fifth. Jensen’s seventh-inning RBI single completed the scoring.
Johnson kept the Angels within range during his start, but the lack of offense made every Kansas City run significant.
Los Angeles finished with no runs, one hit and one walk against Cameron.
For Kansas City, Cameron’s performance provided the foundation for a comfortable win despite the Royals scoring only three runs.
The left-hander faced just two batters over the minimum and completed his nine innings on 115 pitches.
Up Next
Kansas City returns home Monday to begin a four-game series against the Athletics. Royals right-hander Michael Wacha, who is 5-8 with a 3.46 ERA, is scheduled to face Athletics right-hander Mason Barnett, who enters at 1-3 with a 6.16 ERA.
The Angels have Monday off before opening a three-game series Tuesday in Houston.
Los Angeles right-hander George Klassen is scheduled to start with a 1-1 record and a 5.52 ERA. The Astros will counter with right-hander Cristian Javier, who enters at 1-3 with a 6.68 ERA.