Founder and Managing Partner
ANAHEIM – Tyler Anderson has pitched well all season for the Angels, but more often than not, he’s been victimized by a lack of run support.
On Saturday, he finally got enough help from his offense to earn a win.
Anderson pitched 6 2/3 innings with three runs allowed, Jo Adell hit a three-run homer and the Angels beat the Kansas City Royals, 9-3, at Angel Stadium. Anderson (3-4) earned his first win since April 8, snapping a streak of five straight winless starts.
The 34-year-old left-hander allowed seven hits, walked one and struck out four while delivering his fifth quality start in eight outings this season. He retired 12 straight batters at one point and didn’t allow a hit between the second and sixth innings.
Anderson’s night ended on a somewhat sour note when he allowed back-to-back two-out singles to Royals No. 8 and 9 hitters Garrett Hampson and Kyle Isbel to allow the tying run to come to the plate in the seventh inning, but Adam Cimber entered in relief and got Maikel Garcia to fly out to left to end the threat and keep Anderson in line for the win.
Adell ensured Anderson had plenty of run support early. With two on and one out in the second inning, Adell got a 1-2 slider on the inner half of the plate from Royals left-hander Cole Ragans and blasted it 419 feet over the wall in left-center for a three-run homer to give the Angels a 3-1 lead. It was Adell’s second home run in as many days and third in his last four games.
The Angels piled on from there against Ragans (2-3). Cole Tucker, Taylor Ward and Kevin Pillar delivered back-to-back-to-back singles in the third to bring home another run and Ward scampered home on a wild pitch to give the Angels a 5-1 lead after three innings.
After Cimber escaped the jam in the top of the seventh, the Angels put the game away in the bottom of the frame. After the Angels loaded the bases with two outs, Pillar dropped a two-run single just inside the right-field line and Logan O’Hoppe followed with a two-run double into the left-field corner to give the Angels all the breathing room they would need.
The Angels roughed up Ragans for eight hits and seven runs in 6 1/3 innings. It was tied for the most runs the burgeoning 26-year-old standout has allowed in a game in his career.
Pillar finished 3-for-4 with a triple and three RBIs, Ward went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and all but one Angels starter reached base.