Grayson Rodriguez allowed one run and two hits over five innings to help the visiting Los Angeles Angels to a 7-1 win against the Detroit Tigers in the rubber game of their three-game series on Thursday afternoon.
Rodriguez (2-1) struck out five and walked two in his third start of the season since being activated from the injured list on May 17 because of shoulder inflammation and soreness that developed during spring training.
The 26-year-old right-hander was acquired from the Baltimore Orioles in November for outfielder Taylor Ward.
Donovan Walton had three hits and scored two runs, Mike Trout had two hits, two RBIs and a run and Zach Neto had two hits, an RBI and a run for the Angels, who have won five of six, including back-to-back series for the first time this season.
Detroit right-hander Jack Flaherty (0-7) went 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs and six hits with nine strikeouts and a walk.
Wenceel Perez doubled and homered for the Tigers, who have lost 10 of 12.
With two outs in the second, Perez homered into the first row in right-center field to give Detroit a 1-0 lead.
Angels right fielder Jo Adell led off the fifth with a 110-mph line drive into the left-center field gap for a double. He moved to third on a wild pitch with one out and came home on Sebastian Rivero’s single through the left side of the drawn-in infield to tie it 1-1.
Following a single by Walton, Neto doubled down the third base line to give Los Angeles a 2-1 lead. Trout was intentionally walked to load the bases, and Vaughn Grissom delivered a sacrifice fly to center to extend the lead to 3-1.
Trout walked to lead off the eighth and Grissom hit a line drive into the gap in left center, scoring Trout from first for a 4-1 lead. Jorge Soler then singled home Grissom to make it 5-1.
Trout drove in two more in the ninth with a double to deep center field to make it 7-1.
After surrendering the home run to Perez, Rodriguez retired the next nine in a row.
Angels reliever Drew Pomeranz came off the 15-day injured list on Thursday and threw a scoreless sixth. Jose Fermin got a double play to end the seventh. Sam Bachman struck out Riley Greene with the bases loaded to end the eighth, and Ryan Zeferjahn stranded two more in the ninth.
–Field Level Media
