ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Jo Adell doubled and scored the tiebreaking run on two flyouts in the eighth inning, and the Los Angeles Angels snapped their five-game losing streak with a 2-1 victory over the San Diego Padres on Monday night.
Tyler Anderson pitched into the seventh and Willie Calhoun had an early RBI single for the Angels, who won for the second time in 10 games. Calhoun had two of the Halos' four hits as they improved the worst home record in the majors to 8-21 in the opener of a six-game homestand.
“We just played crisp baseball,” Anderson said. “We had good at-bats. On defense, it just felt like we were really crisp tonight, which was huge. And then the bullpen came in and did a great job and shut it down.”
Adell opened the eighth with a double off the right-field wall against Adrian Morejon (1-1). Adell moved to third on Zach Neto’s flyout and scored easily on pinch-hitter Luis Guillorme’s long sacrifice fly to center.
“That's big, (because) the situational hitting, especially in a close game, has been kind of our kryptonite,” Adell said. “Especially for me, getting through this funk and being able to go the other way and get a pitch to drive, and then with two sac flies, we won the game. Just how much that can do for us.”
Hunter Strickland (2-1) escaped two jams before Angels closer Carlos Estévez finished for his ninth save.
Manny Machado hit his first homer in 27 games for the Padres, who lost their second straight after a 5-1 surge. San Diego's powerful lineup failed to score after the first inning, went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position and made two key outs on baserunning risks that didn't pay off.
“I’m confident that our aggression pays off for this team,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “It’s a mindset, and we do a lot of really good things. If it doesn’t work, it can sting. But man, we’ve got to appreciate when it does. ... I love the mindset of the club is an aggressive club.”
Both starting pitchers excelled in the opener of a series between interleague rivals separated by about 90 miles of the I-5 freeway.
Matt Waldron allowed two hits and struck out four over 6 1/3 innings in another strong start for San Diego. The part-time knuckleballer has pitched into the seventh inning for the first two times in his career in his past two starts.
“We can't ask for much more of any starter — a fifth starter or a (No.) 1 starter,” Shildt said. “He goes out and gets into the seventh inning, and (they've) got one run on the board. He's done more than his part to help us win a ballgame.”
Anderson allowed five hits and three walks for Los Angeles. He has permitted exactly one run in each of his past four starts, totaling 26 2/3 innings.
Machado hit a 438-foot drive off the fake rock pile beyond center field in the first inning for his sixth homer of the season and his first since May 3.
Luis Rengifo singled in the fourth for the Angels' first hit. Rengifo then stole second and scored on Calhoun's single, ending Waldron's streak of 13 straight scoreless innings over three starts.
Jurickson Profar walked in the sixth and attempted to score from first on Fernando Tatis Jr.'s double to left, but was out at the plate on Neto's relay throw from shortstop.
Neto also made a sharp relay throw in the second inning to get Ha-Seong Kim when he tried to stretch a double into a triple.
San Diego got two runners on in the seventh to chase Anderson, but Strickland got pinch-hitter David Peralta to fly out to the warning track.
The Padres had two more runners on with one out in the eighth, but Strickland also escaped that jam.
