Angels Push for Wild Card as All-Star Break Loom

By Christian Monreal

The Anaheim Angels are making a late push toward an American League Wild Card spot, winning six of their last ten games as they climb back from an early-season slump. Heading into Saturday night’s matchup against the Washington Nationals, the Angels stood at 40-41 and aimed to even the three-game series after dropping the opener.

Veteran right-hander Kyle Hendricks took the mound for Anaheim and delivered a solid outing. After a scoreless first inning, the Angels got on the board when a Logan O’Hoppe double play brought in Taylor Ward for a 1-0 lead.

That advantage held until the fifth inning, when Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams tied the game with a solo home run. Hendricks kept the game steady, finishing five innings with one run allowed and five strikeouts.

The tie held into the seventh, when a walk and stolen base set up an RBI single to center by Nationals catcher Riley Adams, giving Washington a 2-1 lead. But the Angels responded quickly and dramatically.

With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Mike Trout stepped to the plate and crushed a 0-1 fastball into the left-field bleachers to tie the game at 2-2.

"It never gets old," said interim manager Ray Montgomery. "He's capable of changing the game every time he's at the plate."

Trout’s homer ignited a scoring outburst. The Angels put up five runs in the inning on five hits and three walks, highlighted by a three-run home run from utility player Kevin Newman.

Gustavo Campero added a pinch-hit solo homer in the eighth to make it 8-2, where the score would remain.

The Angels' comeback turned into a rout, evening their record at 41-41. With the win, they move to within one game of an American League Wild Card spot as the All-Star break approaches. They’ll look to take the series finale against Washington before heading to Atlanta for a three-game set with the Braves.