PITTSBURGH (AP) — Kevin Pillar homered twice and drove in six runs, helping Patrick Sandoval and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-0 on Tuesday night.
Logan O’Hoppe had four hits and two RBIs for Los Angeles, which had dropped three in a row and five of six overall. Willie Calhoun walked twice and scored three times.
Sandoval (2-5) struck out seven in seven innings in his first win since April 3 against Miami. The left-hander allowed three hits and walked one.
The Angels went ahead to stay when Pillar connected for a three-run drive against Quinn Priester in the fourth. Mickey Moniak singled and Calhoun walked before Pillar reached the left-field bleachers for his second homer of the season.
Pillar led off the seventh with a drive to left off Roansy Contreras. It was Pillar’s seventh career multihomer game and his first since 2021 with the New York Mets. He doubled in a run in the eighth off Josh Fleming.
The veteran outfielder signed with Los Angeles on April 30 after Angels star Mike Trout was placed on the 10-day injured list with a knee injury. The 35-year-old Pillar had played in just three games with the Angels before Tuesday and was 1 for 6.
The Angels are Pillar’s ninth team since 2019.
Nolan Schanuel and Moniak each had two hits as Los Angeles erupted for nine runs while scoring a total of three in its previous three games.
Priester (0-3) was charged with five runs — three earned — and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings. The Pirates have yet to score during Priester’s four starts and 21 innings this year.
The start of the game was delayed 20 minutes because of the threat of rain.
TRAINER’S ROOMAngels: INF Luis Rengifo (illness) missed his fourth straight game. … LF Taylor Ward sat out his first game of the season because of a scheduled day off.
Pirates: SS Oneil Cruz got the night off with Pittsburgh facing a left-handed starting pitcher.
UP NEXTAngels right-hander Jose Soriano (1-4, 3.77 ERA) faces lefty Martín Pérez (1-2, 3.15 ERA) on Wednesday in the finale of the three-game series. Soriano spent the entire 2021 season on the injured list with the Pirates while recovering from elbow surgery after being selected from the Angels in the Rule 5 draft.
TIGERS 11, GUARDIANS 7CLEVELAND (AP) — Andy Ibáñez homered his first two times up and drove in four runs and Ryan Vilade got his first major league hit and three RBIs in his debut for Detroit, leading the Tigers to an 11-7 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday night.
Ibáñez homered on the third pitch of the game from Logan Allen and added a three-run shot in the second. Ibáñez hit a double in the eighth inning and finished 4 for 4 with a walk and four runs.
Vilade, who was recalled earlier in the day from Triple-A Toledo, singled home two runs in the third off Pedro Avila (1-1) and another in the seventh to put the Tigers up 9-7. His first plate appearance with Colorado in 2021 and his first hit as a major leaguer came 963 days apart.
“It was long,” said the 25-year-old, who had the ball from his first hit and three other game balls on a shelf in his locker.
Although Vilade didn’t make Detroit’s opening-day roster, he didn’t get discouraged. He went to the minors and worked on his game, recently adding a leg kick to help his timing at the plate.
In the end, it worked out.
“Whenever it’s that period of time, you question but you’ve got to keep going,” said Vilade. “I was looking for an opportunity, that’s why I signed here with the Tigers. I got the opportunity tonight and glad we could win.”
Matt Vierling’s two-run single in the eighth helped Detroit open a four-run lead as the Tigers ended a four-game losing skid.
Detroit reliever Tyler Holton (3-0) pitched three scoreless innings after starter Kenta Maeda got roughed up for seven runs in two innings.
Josh Naylor hit a two-run homer and José Ramírez and Will Brennan had two RBIs apiece as Cleveland had its winning streak stopped at three.
Guardians rookie Kyle Manzardo went 0 for 4 and is hitless in seven at-bats with five strikeouts since being promoted on Monday.
Ibáñez’s second homer off Allen put the Tigers up 5-2. Allen lasted just 2 1/3 innings, allowing seven runs and seven hits.
“He struggled,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said of Allen. “He was getting behind counts and then kind of missing some pitches over the middle. Credit to them. They were aggressive. They came out swinging and didn’t miss much.”
After the Guardians scored five runs in the second, the Tigers tied it 7-all in the third when Vilade, playing in his first major league game since he debuted with the Rockies, got his first hit and RBIs.
Vilade didn’t sleep much Monday night after being told he was joining the Tigers. There was enough time to contact his mom, Jennifer, who made it to the game from Dallas with his grandma.
“It felt like debuting all over again,” he said. “Nervous but confident. I’m older now and just grateful for the opportunity.”
“I’m happy for him,” said Tigers manager A.J. Hinch. “He has wanted that first hit from the moment he got called up. You want to feel like a contributor right away. He’ll feel good tonight about being a big leaguer.”
For the second straight game, the Tigers led off with a homer as Ibáñez connected against Allen. On Monday, Riley Greene homered on the first pitch from Triston McKenzie — the Tigers’ only run in a 2-1 loss.
TRAINER’S ROOMTigers: INF Gio Urshela (hamstring) hit and tested his leg with some on-field running before the game. He’ll be examined by the team’s medical staff on Wednesday, and barring any setbacks, he’s expected to begin a minor league rehab assignment later this week.
Guardians: RHP Gavin Williams (sore elbow) has had no issues while building back strength and stamina following a recent setback. Vogt said Williams, who initially got hurt throwing a weighted ball in spring training, has not had any simulated games or bullpen sessions scheduled yet. “Taking it a day at a time right now, just making sure he checks each box and feels good,” Vogt said.
UP NEXTTigers RHP Reese Olson (0-4, 2.70 ERA) starts the matinee series finale against Guardians RHP Tanner Bibee (2-1, 4.46).
DIAMONDBACKS 6, REDS 2CINCINNATI (AP) — Zac Gallen threw six shutout innings in his first start in 11 days and Corbin Carroll had a three-run homer and five RBIs as the Arizona Diamondbacks dealt the Cincinnati Reds a sixth straight loss, 6-2 on Tuesday night.
Gallen (4-2) made his first start since April 26 when he left the game early due to a hamstring cramp. The right-hander allowed just one Reds hit through six innings, struck out six and walked three in not allowing a runner past second base.
“He got very sharp and very stubborn late,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. “But at 79 pitches with the six up-downs, it was time to turn it over to the bullpen. He was great for us.”
The woes continued for the Reds, who scored just two runs in the three-game sweep by the Orioles at Great American Ball Park. With Tuesday’s loss, Cincinnati fell to three games under .500 for the first time this season.
Frankie Montas (2-3), making his first start since he was hit in the arm with a line drive April 21, allowed one earned run and four hits through six innings while striking out seven.
Carroll, who had just seven RBIs all season, drove in runs in the third and fifth innings and then, with two on in the seventh, pounded a fastball from Justin Wilson over the center field wall for his second homer of the season. Ketel Marte followed with another homer, only the second time this season Arizona has gone back-to-back.
Lovullo saw Carroll working and improving this season, but did not anticipate a five-RBI outburst from his leadoff man, who came in hitting .203.
“I probably thought something spectacular was about to happen, but five RBIs wasn’t on my bingo card,” Lovullo said. “But I know he was the right guy in the right spot. Just a lot of little things went right, but the home run was a really impressive swing.”
Jonathan India and Tyler Stephenson hit solo homers, accounting for two of the three Reds’ hits.
“(Hitters) are trying to do what they need to do to get out of slumps. Everyone here has the right mentality,” Montas said. “They know it’s a long season. We’ve only played like 30 something games. We still have 120 to play. The way they are approaching this right now, they are not putting their heads down and feeling defeated or (worrying about) how bad we’re losing.”
TRAINER’S ROOMDiamondbacks: Closer Paul Sewald (oblique strain) was reinstated from the injured list and reassumed his role. He’s been out all season. He allowed Stephenson’s one-out homer in the ninth but retired the next two batters.
Reds: TJ Friedl (fractured wrist) was taken off the injury list and got the start in center field. He was injured making a diving catch during spring training. He was 0 for 4.
UP NEXTDiamondbacks lefty Jordan Montgomery (1-2, 5.63 ERA) squares off against Reds right-hander Graham Ashcraft (3-1, 3.63, 30Ks) as the series continues Wednesday night.
