Mickey Moniak collected two doubles and a triple, Zach Neto added a home run and the Los Angeles Angels scored early and often en route to an 8-6 victory over the host San Francisco Giants in the opener of a three-game series on Friday.
Left-hander Tyler Anderson (6-6) limited his former team to one run in 5 1/3 innings in a happy homecoming, benefitting from all eight Angels runs while he was in the game.
The onslaught on Giants starter Spencer Howard (0-1) began with Michael Stefanic’s RBI single in the second inning and gained steam during a three-run third, which included Moniak hitting a two-run double.
Howard was pulled with out in the third, charged with four runs on seven hits. He walked four and struck out one.
The Angels completed their scoring in the fourth against San Francisco reliever Randy Rodriguez. Logan O’Hoppe made it 5-0 with an RBI double, before Neto launched a two-run shot, his ninth homer of the year, to left-center. Moniak scored his team’s final run when he tripled and raced home on Jo Adell’s sacrifice fly.
The Giants’ lone run against Anderson came in the last of the fourth when Thairo Estrada’s double-play grounder scored Wilmer Flores, who had singled.
Anderson surrendered five hits and five walks. He struck out five.
The hosts made things interesting with a five-run eighth, getting within 8-6 when Heliot Ramos smacked a three-run home run, his seventh, off Roansy Contreras with one out.
After Patrick Bailey bunted for a hit, Contreras faced Matt Chapman, who was representing the potential tying run, and got him to ground into an inning-ending double play. Closer Carlos Estevez threw a 1-2-3 ninth for his 11th save.
Kevin Pillar, Neto and O’Hoppe each scored twice for the Angels, who out-hit the Giants 11-10. O’Hoppe and Stefanic had two hits apiece. Los Angeles has alternated losses and wins over its past six games.
Ramos also had a single and two walks in five plate appearances for San Francisco, which also has alternated wins and losses in its past six games. Nick Ahmed chipped in two singles.
–Field Level Media
