The Los Angeles Angels got a rare win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second game of their three game set, 6-1, as the Angels finally did some hitting to support six shutout innngs from starter Yusei Kikuchi.
Both starters swapped zeroes for the first three frames, but the Angels scratched out a run off Pirates starter Braxton Ashcraft on a Wade Meckler double followed by a single from Moises Ballesteros to make it 1-0.
Josh Lowe did it the easy way with a solo homer to open the scoring in the fifth, and Zach Neto drove another run home with the first of his three hits.
That made it 3-0, which was more than enough for Kikuchi, as he shutout the Pirates on five hits and three walks in six innings while striking out six.
The Angels have wasted plenty of leads of three runs or less, but they weren't about to do that in this one. Instead they doubled their lead off reliever Isaac Matson, starting with a double from Adam Frazier. Neto followed with a single, and Mike Trout singled home Frazier. Meckler then doubled to bring home Trout and make it 6-0.
The bullpen did falter in the eighth to lose the shutout, as Luke Murphy gave up a a run. Bryan Reynolds delivered the blow, a blazing line drive that was a no-doubter from the moment it left the bat.
But Jose Fermin came on to pitch a scoreless run, and the Angels got the win. It was just their second in their last 11 games, but it gave the Angels a chance to get a rare series victory in the rubber game tomorrow.
Kikuchi got the win, and the Angels are seeing a new version of him after his extended stretch on the IL and subsequent rehab stint. He's been throwing strikes, making pitches and challenging hitters, and the remaining $21 million on his contract for next year will be an intriguing issue for the Halos in the offseason.
The win derailed Pittsburgh's efforts to get back to .500, and each loss shrinks their already slim chances of climbing over multiple games and sneaking into the third wild card spot. It's a disappointing development for a team that finally invested in upgrades, but the loss left the Pirates five games out.
The finale tomorrow features a great pitching matchup, with rookie Walbert Urena going up against Paul Skenes for the Pirates.
