José Soriano delivered a dominant performance on the mound while Taylor Ward came through with a clutch three-run double, helping the Los Angeles Angels secure an 8-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday and take the series.
Soriano (7-7) pitched seven strong innings, limiting the Phillies to two runs on six hits while striking out five. He gave up an RBI single to Rafael Marchán in the second inning and a solo home run to Otto Kemp in the sixth, but otherwise kept Philadelphia in check.
The Angels jumped on Phillies starter Ranger Suárez (7-4) early, tagging him for six earned runs over just 4 1/3 innings. Los Angeles exploded for five runs in the second inning, highlighted by Ward’s bases-clearing double. Zach Neto also drove in a run with a single earlier in the frame.
A key moment came when the bases were loaded in the second inning. Mike Trout worked a full count against Suárez and drew a borderline walk that forced in a run. The next batter, Ward, emptied the bases with his three-run double, breaking the game open.
LaMonte Wade Jr. added a solo homer in the sixth after entering the game in the first inning. He replaced Nolan Schanuel, who exited after being hit on the wrist by a pitch.
Key Stat:
Otto Kemp, filling in at third base for the injured Alec Bohm, committed two errors on the day. Kemp has made three errors in just six starts at third, compared to just one error across 24 games at first base and left field combined.
Up Next:
On Monday, the Angels will travel to New York to begin a three-game series against the Mets. Left-hander Tyler Anderson (2-6, 4.34 ERA) is scheduled to face Mets ace Kodai Senga (7-3, 1.39 ERA). Meanwhile, the Phillies return home to take on the Red Sox, with Zack Wheeler (9-3, 2.36 ERA) going up against Boston’s Walker Buehler (6-6, 6.12 ERA).
