Pavin Smith snapped a year-long home run drought with a tiebreaking blast in the seventh inning as the Arizona Diamondbacks edged the Los Angeles Angels 4-3 on Monday night.
Smith’s solo shot off the right-field foul pole proved to be the difference in a tightly contested opener of the three-game series. Ryne Nelson delivered another strong outing on the mound, and the Diamondbacks held off a late Angels rally to secure the win.
The Angels erased an early deficit behind another home run from Mike Trout, but Arizona answered in the seventh and closed out the game despite a ninth-inning scare.
Smith Delivers Game-Winning Swing
The game was tied 2-2 entering the seventh inning when Smith stepped to the plate.
The veteran first baseman, who entered the night batting just .103, connected on a solo home run that curled around the right-field foul pole for his first homer of the season. It was also his first long ball in nearly a calendar year.
Smith has spent much of the season recovering from surgery to remove bone chips from his left elbow, making the home run a welcome breakthrough.
Arizona added an important insurance run later in the inning when Geraldo Perdomo lined an RBI double to extend the lead to 4-2.
That extra run proved valuable after the Angels mounted a final push in the ninth.
Nelson Continues Strong Run
Nelson turned in another quality start for Arizona.
The right-hander worked seven innings, allowing two runs on nine hits while striking out five. He consistently escaped trouble despite frequent traffic on the bases and completed at least seven innings for the fifth time in his last seven starts.
His performance improved his record to 3-5 and continued a stretch of dependable outings for the Diamondbacks’ rotation.
Paul Sewald handled the ninth inning and earned his 18th save in 19 opportunities.
The closer surrendered a two-out solo home run to Donovan Walton that trimmed Arizona’s lead to one run, but he recovered by striking out Oswald Peraza to end the game.
Trout Reaches Another Milestone
Trout continued his productive season with another home run.
The Angels star tied the game at 2-2 in the fifth inning by driving an opposite-field shot over the wall. The home run was the 420th of his major league career and his 16th of the season.
Trout also scored the Angels’ first run after reaching base in the opening inning. Jo Adell doubled down the right-field line to drive him home and give Los Angeles an early 1-0 advantage.
The Diamondbacks answered immediately in the bottom of the first when Gabriel Moreno delivered an RBI single.
Arizona took its first lead in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Lourdes Gurriel Jr., who returned to the lineup after missing roughly three weeks with a strained left hamstring.
Ureña Keeps Angels Close
Walbert Ureña matched Nelson through much of the evening and kept the Angels within striking distance.
The right-hander pitched seven innings and allowed four runs, three of them earned. He battled through several difficult situations before Smith’s home run and Perdomo’s RBI double provided Arizona with the decisive advantage.
Although the Angels collected nine hits, they struggled to convert scoring opportunities after Trout’s game-tying homer.
Walton’s ninth-inning home run briefly raised hopes of another comeback, but the rally ended one batter later.
Diamondbacks Take Series Opener
Arizona relied on timely hitting and another quality pitching performance to open the series with a victory.
Smith supplied the biggest offensive moment, while Nelson controlled the game from the mound before Sewald closed the door despite allowing the late home run.
For the Angels, Trout continued his strong offensive form, but the club could not overcome Arizona’s productive seventh inning.
Up Next
The series continues Tuesday in Phoenix.
Arizona is scheduled to start right-hander Merrill Kelly, who enters with a 5-5 record and a 5.46 ERA.
The Angels will counter with left-hander Reid Detmers, who brings a 2-5 record and a 4.00 ERA into the matchup.
