The Sports Xchange
Aug 9, 2017
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Parker Bridwell allowed one run in seven innings against his former team, and Andrelton Simmons and C.J. Cron had two hits each as the Los Angeles Angels snapped a three-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday.
Bridwell (6-1) allowed six hits and didn't walk a batter while striking out four. It was the rookie's seventh quality effort in 10 starts in 2017. The Angels are now 10-1 in the 11 games he has pitched this season.
Jeremy Hellickson, making his second start for Baltimore since being acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies, held the Angels to two hits while striking out a nine through six innings. However, Los Angeles collected four consecutive hits to start the seventh and scored two runs to snap a 1-1 tie.
Kole Calhoun and Simmons singled to left, and Luis Valbuena sliced a double off the base of the short wall in left field to score Calhoun and make it 2-1. Cron delivered a single to left to score Simmons and make it 3-1 to end Hellickson's night. Darren O'Day relieved and worked out of the two-on, no-out jam without another run.
Hellickson (7-6 overall, 1-1 with Baltimore) yielded three runs on six hits and a walk in six-plus innings. The nine K's were his season high.
Bridwell was a ninth-round pick in 2010 by the Orioles and was once considered one of the top pitching prospects in the system. The organization thought he hit a plateau in 2015 and moved him into a bullpen role in the minors last season. He made two appearances for the Orioles in 2016, allowing five runs in 3 1/3 innings.
The Angels acquired him in an April trade.
Bridwell pitched six innings in a win over Atlanta in an emergency start in late May. He was recalled in mid-June and made one relief appearance before going into the rotation.
Cam Bedrosian relieved Bridwell in the eighth, and a two-base throwing error by Valbuena and bloop single by Manny Machado put runners on the corners with no outs. Bedrosian rallied, striking out Jonathan Schoop and Chris Davis and retiring Trey Mancini of a fly to left.
Caleb Joseph hit his seventh home run of the season with two outs in the ninth off rookie Keynan Middleton to make it 3-2, but Middleton got through the inning for his first save.
Hellickson struck out Albert Pujols to the end the sixth on a check swing after plate umpire Paul Nauert deferred the call to first base umpire Ramon De Jesus. Pujols argued the call at the plate and as he was walked to the dugout, and he was ejected. Manager Mike Scioiscia was also tossed after coming out after the inning to argue with Nauert.
It was Pujols' first ejection of the season and eighth of his career. It was also Scioscia's first of the year and 44th in his career as a manager.
Simmons singled and stole second in the second inning and scored on Cron's single to give the Angels a 1-0 lead. It was Simmons' 17th steal this year and the team's American League-leading 100th.
The Orioles had three straight hits to start the fifth and tie the score.
Tim Beckham singled to extend his hitting streak to eight games since being traded to the Orioles. Seth Smith hit a hard but catchable liner off the glove of Cron for a double that sent Beckham to third, and Joseph followed with a line single to center to score Beckham, with Smith stopping at third.
Bridwell got out of the jam. Joey Rickard hit a grounder to third, and Valbuena threw Smith out at home. Adam Jones struck out on a breaking ball in the dirt, and Cameron Maybin made a nice catch in left of Machado's line drive.
NOTES: Angels 3B Yunel Escobar underwent an MRI exam Monday and was diagnosed with a Grade 1 oblique strain. He was placed on the 10-day disabled list. RHP Eduardo Paredes was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake. ... Angels SS Andrelton Simmons has a hit in 16 of his past 17 games. ... Los Angeles DH Albert Pujols is 2-for-29 in his past seven games. ... Orioles 1B Mark Trumbo is expected to be activated from the disabled list and return to the lineup Wednesday in the series finale against the Angels. He has been out with a ribcage strain. ... Orioles INF Ryan Flaherty (right shoulder strain) is hitting .333 in 10 games of a rehab assignment with Double-A Portland, but there is no timetable for a return to the major league roster. ... SS Tim Beckham singled to extend his hitting streak since joining Baltimore to eight games.