Mike Trout celebrated his 35th birthday with another home run, Nolan Schanuel added a key two-run shot, and the Los Angeles Angels held off the Miami Marlins for a 4-3 win on Friday night.
Trout opened the scoring with a first-inning homer before Schanuel broke a late tie with his second home run in as many games. The Angels then survived a tense ninth inning, ending the game by throwing out the potential tying run at home plate after a replay review confirmed the final out.
The victory gave Los Angeles a strong start to the series while handing Miami its fourth consecutive loss.
Trout Delivers on His Birthday
Trout wasted little time putting the Angels in front.
The veteran slugger launched a first-inning home run, marking the sixth time in his 16 major league seasons that he has gone deep on his birthday. The blast continued another productive stretch for the three-time American League MVP and gave Los Angeles an early 1-0 lead.
The Angels maintained pressure throughout the evening, creating scoring opportunities even when the offense was limited.
Marlins Respond
Miami answered in the fourth inning after putting together a patient rally.
Owen Caissie drew a leadoff walk before Jakob Marsee singled and Esteury Ruiz worked another walk to load the bases. Kyle Stowers then forced in the tying run with a bases-loaded walk, bringing home Caissie.
The Marlins added another run in the sixth when Stowers delivered an RBI single, giving Miami a brief advantage and putting pressure on the Angels late in the game.
Despite those opportunities, the Marlins struggled to capitalize further against the Los Angeles bullpen.
Schanuel Provides the Difference
The Angels regained control in the seventh inning.
Josh Lowe reached base and eventually scored after Mike Trout reached on a fielding error by Josh Ekness. Moments later, Schanuel drove a pitch deep to center field for a two-run home run, giving Los Angeles a 4-2 lead.
The home run was Schanuel’s second in consecutive games and proved to be the decisive swing of the night.
Ekness took the loss after allowing three runs over 1 2/3 innings in relief.
Bullpen Holds On
Los Angeles pieced together the final innings with contributions from its bullpen.
Shaun Anderson recorded the final out of the sixth inning and earned the victory. He allowed one hit and one walk during his appearance to improve to 2-0 on the season.
José Fermin handled the ninth inning and picked up the first save of his major league career, although the finish was anything but routine.
Miami mounted one last rally with two outs. Leo Jiménez singled to center field, driving in Agustín Ramírez to cut the deficit to one run.
The Marlins then tried to tie the game on Javier Sanoja’s ground ball, which deflected off the glove of third baseman Denzer Guzman. Left fielder José Siri quickly recovered the ball and fired home, where Jiménez was tagged out attempting to score.
Replay officials reviewed the play and upheld the call, ending the game and preserving the Angels’ one-run victory.
Close Finish Caps Tight Contest
The Angels made the most of their scoring chances despite limited offensive production outside of the home runs.
Trout supplied the early spark, while Schanuel’s seventh-inning blast erased Miami’s lead and ultimately decided the game. Los Angeles also benefited from aggressive defense in the closing moments, with Siri’s accurate throw and the successful tag at home preventing the tying run from crossing the plate.
For Miami, Stowers continued his productive stretch with two RBIs, but the Marlins were unable to complete their late comeback after falling behind in the seventh inning.
Up Next
The series continued Saturday with Miami scheduled to send right-hander Sandy Alcantara to the mound. Alcantara entered with a 12-6 record and a 3.68 ERA.
The Angels countered with rookie right-hander Walbert Ureña, who carried a 7-7 record and a 2.54 ERA into his start.