Anaheim, Calif. — The Los Angeles Angels dominated the Cleveland Guardians 10-4 on Saturday night, thanks to a powerful offensive surge, including two home runs each from Mike Trout and Logan O’Hoppe. The Angels’ offensive explosion came in the form of a seven-run fifth inning, which put the game out of reach. Jack Kochanowicz picked up the win, holding the Guardians in check over five solid innings.
Trout, who had earlier struck out after a lengthy 10-pitch at-bat, put the Angels ahead in the fifth with a 429-foot, two-run home run to center field off Cleveland starter Tanner Bibee (1-1). The ball left his bat at 107 mph. O’Hoppe followed with a massive two-run shot of his own, crushing a full-count sinker from Bibee over the left-center field wall to extend the lead to 7-3.
The Angels’ rally didn’t stop there. After O’Hoppe’s homer, Jorge Soler, who had been hit by a pitch, scored. Nolan Schanuel singled, Jo Adell drew a walk, and Tim Anderson contributed a two-run double, pushing the lead to 9-3. Taylor Ward then capped the inning with an RBI single, making it a 10-3 game.
Kochanowicz (1-0) was effective in his five-inning start, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits, including solo home runs from Carlos Santana and Bo Naylor. He struck out four batters and walked three during his outing.
The Angels jumped to an early lead in the first inning. Luis Rengifo led off with a home run, and after a walk to Trout, Soler belted a two-run homer to give Los Angeles a 3-0 advantage.
Bibee had a rough night, giving up seven runs and eight hits — including four home runs — in just four innings of work.
Cleveland had an opportunity to rally in the fifth, loading the bases with two outs. After Steven Kwan singled and a wild pitch moved him to second, José Ramírez was intentionally walked, followed by a walk to Santana. But Kochanowicz got out of the jam, battling back from a 2-0 count to strike out cleanup hitter Kyle Manzardo and induce a flyout to center to end the threat, preserving the 3-3 tie.
Noteworthy Performances:
Both Trout and O’Hoppe extended their hot streaks, hitting home runs in three consecutive games. This marks the first time O’Hoppe has homered in three straight games, while it’s the 16th occurrence for Trout.
Looking ahead:
The Guardians will turn to right-hander Luis Ortiz (0-1, 13.50 ERA) in the series finale, while the Angels will counter with lefty Tyler Anderson (0-0, 5.40 ERA).
