Zach Neto’s three-run homer boosted the Los Angeles Angels to a 4-1 victory against the host Baltimore Orioles, preventing a three-game series sweep Thursday afternoon.
Wade Meckler scored two runs and joined Vaughn Grissom, Jose Siri and Neto with two hits apiece for the Angels, who won for just the second time in their last nine games.
Angels starter Ryan Johnson was within one out of being eligible for the victory, but he was lifted after 4 2/3 innings with a runner on base. Mitch Farris (1-3) was dubbed the winning pitcher with a one shutout inning of relief.
Yohel Pozo homered for the Orioles, who completed a six-game homestand before embarking on a 10-game road trip.
Starting pitcher Brandon Young (8-3) took the loss, going 4 1/3 innings and yielding three runs on six hits with two walks and four strikeouts. It marked his first defeat in his last eight starts.
Johnson allowed one run on three hits with five walks and one strikeout before the Angels used four relievers — Farris, Luke Murphy, Tayler Saucedo and Samy Natera Jr. It became a combined four-hitter for the Los Angeles pitchers, with Natera logging 1 1/3 innings for his second save.
The Angels began the second inning with three consecutive singles to load the bases, but they didn’t score.
Neto’s 20th homer of the season came in the third inning. He has reached the 20-homer level for the third year in a row.
It was Pozo’s first homer of 2026 came in the bottom of the third. He was in his third game with the Orioles since he was acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Angels stretched their lead to 4-1 in the seventh inning on Nolan Schanuel’s sacrifice fly off Orioles reliever Yaramil Hiraldo.
The Orioles threatened in the eighth after a pinch-hit single by Tyler O’Neill put two runners aboard with two outs, but they didn’t capitalize.
Alber Suarez threw two shutout innings of relief for Baltimore.
–Field Level Media
