Los Angeles Angels vs San Diego Padres Match Player Stats On Aug 15, 2018

Catcher Rene Rivera homered with one out in the top of the ninth Wednesday to break a 2-2 tie and give the visiting Los Angeles Angels a 3-2 victory over the Padres and a sweep of their three-game series at Petco Park.

Rivera, who was the Padres' team Most Valuable Player in 2014, pulled the first pitch he saw from San Diego closer Kirby Yates 407 feet into the left field stands to snap a 2-2 tie.

Left-handed reliever Jose Alvarez, who struck out Eric Hosmer and Hunter Renfroe with the go-ahead run at second in the eighth, was credited with the win to improve to 5-3. Right-hander Blake Parker earned his 12th save for the Angels, who have won seven of their past nine.

Yates (4-1) took the loss for the Padres, who have dropped four of their last five immediately after winning four of five.

The Angels' Felix Pena had the slight edge on left-hander Robbie Erlin as both starting pitchers battled through six innings. The right-handed Pena held the Padres to an unearned run on just two hits plus four walks and seven strikeouts. Erlin gave up two runs on eight hits and no walks with two strikeouts.

Both teams scored on sacrifice flies to center in the first.

Kole Calhoun and David Fletcher opened the game with singles to put Angels at the corners. After Erlin struck out Justin Upton, Albert Pujols flied out to center, Calhoun scoring after the catch.

Travis Jankowski opened the Padres' first with a double and moved to third on a passed ball. One batter later, he scored on Renfroe's fly to center.

The Angels took a 2-1 lead in the sixth. Fletcher led off with a single, raced to third on Pujols' single to center and scored on Andrelton Simmons' single to left. Erlin then struck out Rivera and retired Taylor Ward on a pop fly to short to end the inning.

The Padres tied the game in the bottom of the seventh when Cory Spangenberg drove an 0-2 pitch from Cam Bedrosian the opposite way into the left field stands for his seventh homer of the season.

--Field Level Media