The Sports Xchange
Aug 19, 2017
BALTIMORE -- Mike Trout and Luis Valbuena each homered twice in the first four innings as the Los Angeles Angels continued their weekend power barrage against the Baltimore Orioles in a 5-1 victory Saturday night.
Valbuena hit a solo homer and a two-run blast and Trout banged out two solo homers to give the Angels five runs in the first four innings.
Trout's first-inning homer gave the 26-year-old 25 for the season. He became the third player in history to hit 25 homers six times before his age 26 season. Eddie Mathews and Frank Robinson are the others.
The Angels (63-60) hit five homers in Friday's loss plus four in this win and now have nine in the first two games of the series -- after being ranked next-to-last in the American League in homers coming in.
Angels starter JC Ramirez (11-10) dodged some trouble in the early innings as the Orioles put runners in scoring position in the first and third but came away with just one run.
He went 5 2/3 innings, allowing one run and five hits, before leaving with right forearm irritation in the sixth.
Kevin Gausman (9-9) didn't fare as well for the Orioles (60-63), allowing those four homers in the first four innings. He gave up five runs and six hits in those four innings plus two batters and left while trailing 5-1.
There also was a 40-minute rain delay after the seventh inning, the second straight night for a weather delay.
Trout belted a solo home run in the first inning that made it 1-0. After Tim Beckham scored on a wild pitch in the first, Valbuena broke the tie with a solo homer leading off the second.
Then Trout added his second solo shot in the third, and Valbuena hit a two-run homer to left-center field in the fourth to put the Angels ahead 5-1.
Home plate umpire Tom Hallion had to be replaced in the top of the second by second-base umpire Vic Carapazza after Martin Maldonado fouled one off Hallion's face mask. The game was delayed for several minutes while the umpires made the change.
NOTES: Former Orioles OF Brady Anderson won the pregame Home Run Derby for players from the 1992 team as the Orioles are celebrating 25 years at Camden Yards this weekend. The team also wore 1992 uniforms. ... Orioles 1B Chris Davis, who has missed the first two games of the series with an illness, could be back on Sunday. ...Angels OF Cameron Maybin did not play again as his right knee is still bothering him. Manager Mike Scioscia said Maybin is day to day. ... 3B Luis Valbuena's two home runs gave him nine since the All-Star break for the Angels.