The Los Angeles Angels saved the best of their grueling nine-game road trip for last, closing out the trek with a three-gamer against the Major League-best Atlanta Braves.
Things started strong for the Halos, as they took the first game in what could easily be argued as one of the team’s best all-around pitching performances of the season. But the Braves are not known for staying quiet for long.
Atlanta poured on the run support in the games that followed, taking the final two games of the series and sending the Angels home with a loss. The Angels finished 5-4 on the trip and are now 56-53, four games back of the Toronto Blue Jays for the final wild card spot and a half-game behind their next opponent, the Seattle Mariners.
Game 1: Angels def. Braves 4-1
Chase Silseth found himself with an opportunity for a spot start when Griffin Canning — who has since been placed on the injured list — was scratched due to general soreness. But against baseball’s best offense, Silseth would need one of his best performances.
He certainly delivered by allowing just one earned run on three hits with four strikeouts over five innings. A Matt Olson solo homer in the fifth inning was Silseth and the Angels’ only allowed run on the day.
The bullpen backed him up nicely. Jose Soriano (1.1 IP), Aaron Loup (1.0 IP) and newly-acquired Reynaldo López (1.2 IP, Save) put together four innings of scoreless ball.
The Angels offense, meanwhile, lived on the solo home run. They hit three over the course of the game, from Luis Rengifo, Randal Grichuk and Chad Wallach. Grichuk’s home run came in his Angels debut 14 years after being drafted by L.A.
The final run was scored via a C.J. Cron RBI single, his first hit in his return to the Halos.
Braves def. Angels 5-1
The Angels held firm through the first six innings of Game 2, trailing 2-1 after a solid performance from Patrick Sandoval — 5.0 IP, three hits, two earned runs, four walks and three strikeouts.
But two home runs — a two-run shot Orlando Arcia and a solo homer from Michael Harris II — in the seventh inning against Jacob Webb delivered the knockout punch for the Angels and set up the Wednesday rubber match.
The Halos managed six hits in this game, but could push across only one run. They went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left seven runners stranded.
Braves def. Angels 12-5
Lucas Giolito’s second start as an Angel did not go as planned. After two quality innings, Giolito was shelled in the third and fourth frames. In 3.2 innings of work, he allowed nine runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out two.
He had not allowed nine earned runs in a single start since April 21, 2018.
The Angels pushed across five runs on the day — three in the sixth inning — but ultimately finished the series and the road trip in blowout fashion.
UP NEXT
The Angels return to Anaheim for a seven-game home stand against the Mariners and San Francisco Giants. Shohei Ohtani is on the mound for Thursday’s opener against Seattle and figures to be the starter for the home stand finale next Wednesday.
