*Photo from MLB.com*
All of a sudden, this team is winning. Taylor Ward drove in a pair of runs, Kevin Pillar had the game winning hit, and the Los Angeles Angels defeated the Detroit Tigers with a 6-5 victory Saturday night in Anaheim.
Pillar delivered the 4th walk off hit of his career and his first since 2018, lifting the Angels to an extra innings win. While they are still 10 games under .500, the Angels have won 6 games in a row, sweeping the Oakland Athletics and are now on the verge of sweeping the Tigers in 4 games as well.
Los Angeles manager Ron Washington said of the streak "What they are learning to do is how to win. I told you earlier when we weren’t winning, the losing was teaching us how to win. They’re pulling for each other. They're not quitting and they’re doing what it takes. Again. It was pitching. It was defense and timely hitting. It’s a good formula."
Wenceel Perez scored for the Tigers in the first inning as Colt Keith hit into a force out, giving the Tigers a 1-0 lead. In the 3rd inning, the Angels took a 2-1 lead as Nolan Schanuel scored on a wild pitch and Willie Calhoun drove in a run on a ground out. In the 4th, a pair of sacrifice outs by the Tigers made it a 3-2 Tigers lead.
Jake Rogers tacked on for the Tigers in the 6th inning, hitting a two run home run to center field to make it a 5-2 lead. Ward answered in the 7th for the Angels, scoring two runs with a double to left field, making it 5-4. Logan O'Hoppe tied the game in the 8th with a solo home run, paving the way for Pillar's walk off in the 10th.
Pillar said after the game "It's easy to talk about, ‘let’s go out and win games and win a series.’ But we took care of a team that we felt like we should beat in Oakland and rolled it into this series. You can feel the energy is changing. Instead of talking about maybe going out and hoping we win, I think we're starting to expect that every time we go on the field."
Griffin Canning was the starter on the mound for the Angels, allowing 5 runs on 6 hits and two walks in 6 innings pitched. In relief, a combo of Hans Crouse, Carson Fulmer, Carlos Estevez, and Ben Joyce held the Tigers scoreless, with Joyce getting credited with the win.
Reese Olson allowed a pair of runs on 5 hits and 3 walks in 6 innings in his start for the Tigers. Beau Brieske allowed two runs in 2/3 of an inning before Tyler Holton finished the 7th. Will Vest allowed a run in the 8th and Jason Foley pitched 1 1/3 innings before giving up the Pillar walk off hit.
Detroit manager AJ Hinch said of the loss that "We hadn’t been able to get the big hit at the big moment to create multiple runs. We did that. But they were able to respond and have some pretty big innings of their own late in the game. You never have it until you finish it. You got to finish the game. Credit to them of course, because they did that against some really good relievers, but yeah, it’s tough to start the road trip this way."
With the series finale set for Sunday afternoon, lefty Tyler Anderson is the starting pitcher for the Angels as they go for the sweep and their 7th straight win. Casey Mize takes the mound to start for the Tigers as they try to avoid being swept and salvage the final game.
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