ANAHEIM, Calif. โ The Baltimore Orioles edged out the Los Angeles Angels in a 7-3 victory, highlighted by Gunnar Hendersonโs two-run homer during a productive sixth inning scoring four runs. Maverick Handley also made a notable contribution with his first two career RBIs, aiding in the Oriolesโ win on Sunday.
Returning to the mound after a month-long injury hiatus, Zach Eflin (3-1) successfully pitched five innings, allowing just two runs. This victory marked a positive conclusion for the Orioles, who managed to claim two out of the three games in the series while traveling. The team had struggled previously, winning only once in their last seven road games.
Making his fourth major league appearance, Handley, the teamโs 27-year-old backup catcher, contributed significantly. He delivered a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning, scoring Emmanuel Rivera, then followed up with a sacrifice bunt in the sixth inning, once again bringing Rivera home.
The Angels saw a spark from Matthew Lugo, who belted his first career home run as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning. However, the team concluded their 10-game homestand with a 4-6 record.
Tyler Anderson (2-1) pitched for the Angels, yielding only one earned run over five innings. Despite this, the teamโs performance was marred by two errors and several other miscues in the field.
In their opening inning, Adley Rutschman was credited with an RBI triple after Taylor Ward failed to catch a routine fly ball, losing it in the sun. Ward managed to redeem himself partially by driving in Jorge Soler with a double and scoring from a single by Logan OโHoppe.
In the fifth inning, Ryan Mountcastle added to the score with an RBI single after the Angels opted to walk Tyler OโNeill to face him.
Even though Eflin experienced some rough patches during his first start since April 7, allowing five hits and two walks, he struck out five batters, delivering a solid performance for a team facing rotation challenges.
Notably, Handleyโs RBI sacrifice bunt was the Oriolesโ first since 2021, adding to the gameโs key statistics.
Looking ahead, Yusei Kikuchi (0-4, 3.83 ERA) aims to secure his first victory for his new team as the Angels prepare to visit the Padres on Monday. Meanwhile, Cade Povich (1-3, 5.55 ERA) is set to pitch at Camden Yards on Tuesday when the Orioles host the Minnesota Twins.