Anaheim, Calif. — Johan Rojas came through with a tiebreaking two-run homer in the ninth inning, just moments after Nick Castellanos’ game-tying shot, propelling the Philadelphia Phillies to a thrilling 7-5 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night.
Trailing 5-4 with one out and no one on base in the ninth, the Phillies staged a remarkable comeback against Angels closer Carlos Estévez (0-1), who endured a rough outing, surrendering three extra-base hits on just five pitches.
Castellanos, who struggled earlier in the season, delivered a crucial solo home run to ignite the rally. Bryson Stott followed with a double, setting the stage for Rojas’ first homer of the season, securing the victory for Philadelphia.
“It’s huge, man. Just to be able to come through, because I feel like there’s so many spots this season where I haven’t,” said Castellanos, who ended his recent slump with three hits. “So just to be able to pick them up, it feels great.”
Luis Rengifo’s three-run homer in the sixth inning had initially put the Angels ahead, but they couldn’t hold on, suffering their 10th loss in 12 games.
Before the game, the Angels announced that star outfielder Mike Trout would undergo surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, leaving him sidelined indefinitely. The news deeply affected the team, adding to their disappointment in the defeat.
Kyle Schwarber’s early three-run homer and Alec Bohm’s late RBI single contributed to the Phillies’ offensive effort.
José Alvarado (1-1) earned the win with a solid eighth inning, while Jeff Hoffman secured his second save.
“I thought that was one of the better wins of the year, really,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson remarked. “Everybody is contributing, and when you’re winning games, it seems like it’s a different guy every night, and that’s a little bit of what we’re getting.”
Both teams will look to regroup for the series finale, with Patrick Sandoval (1-4, 6.33 ERA) taking the mound for the Angels and Zack Wheeler (2-3, 1.93 ERA) pitching for the Phillies.
