The Los Angeles Angels got six scoreless innings from Michael Lorenzen and home runs from the unlikeliest of sources in a 5-3 win over the visiting Oakland A’s on Saturday night in Anaheim, Calif.
Luis Rengifo entered the game with 14 career homers over four major league seasons, and Andrew Velazquez had a total of two homers in five seasons, but both connected to help the Angels end a four-game losing streak.
Lorenzen (5-2) allowed three hits and two walks while striking out five on 84 pitches. Lorenzen allowed only two A’s baserunners to get into scoring position.
The A’s were able to push across three runs against Angels reliever Aaron Loup in the eighth inning and had the potential tying runs at second and third with two out. But reliever Oliver Ortega struck out Luis Barrera to end the inning.
Angels closer Raisel Iglesias, after consecutive outings in which he allowed walk-off homers, pitched a scoreless ninth for his ninth save.
Two A’s players were knocked out of the game early because of injuries. Right fielder Ramon Laureano was hit by a pitch on the hand in the top of the second inning. He remained in the game and played defense in the bottom of the second but was replaced in the third inning.
A’s starter Frankie Montas had to leave the game in the bottom of the second inning, getting hit on his right hand by a line drive off the bat of Rengifo.
Neither team got on the scoreboard until the bottom of the fifth when Rengifo hit his first homer of the year, connecting off A’s reliever Adam Kolarek (0-1).
The Angels added to their lead in the sixth with two runs, one coming in on a bases-loaded walk by Brandon Marsh and another on an infield single by Rengifo, to go up 3-0.
The Angels got what turned out to be a couple of big insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh when Velazquez hit his third career homer — second this season — with a runner on base to give the Angels a 5-0 lead.
–Field Level Media
