Gunnar Henderson crushed a two-run homer during a four-run sixth inning. Maverick Handley notched his first two career RBIs as the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Los Angeles Angels 7-3 on Sunday to clinch the series.
Zach Eflin (3-1) returned from a month-long stint on the injured list to pitch five innings of two-run ball, helping Baltimore secure its second win in the past eight games. The Orioles took two out of three in this weekend series between struggling teams.
Handley, the 27-year-old backup catcher in his fourth major league game, contributed a sacrifice fly in the fifth and laid down a bunt in the sixth that brought home Emmanuel Rivera both times.
Matthew Lugo hit his first career home run for the Angels with a pinch-hit shot in the ninth, but it was too late to spark a rally. The Angels concluded their 10-game homestand with a 4-6 record.
Tyler Anderson (2-1) allowed just one earned run across five innings but was hurt by defensive miscues, with the Angels committing two errors and several sloppy plays in the field.
Baltimore scored in the first when Adley Rutschman was awarded an RBI triple after Taylor Ward lost a routine fly ball in the sun. Ward quickly made up for the miscue by doubling in Jorge Soler and later scoring on a single by Logan O’Hoppe.
Ryan Mountcastle added an RBI single in the fifth after the Angels intentionally walked Tyler O’Neill to pitch to him.
Key Moment:
Eflin, making his first appearance since April 7, gave up five hits and two walks but struck out five and delivered a solid outing for a rotation short on healthy arms.
Key Stat:
Handley’s RBI bunt in the sixth marked Baltimore’s first run-scoring sacrifice bunt since 2021.
Up Next:
Yusei Kikuchi will attempt to earn his first win with the Angels when they travel to San Diego on Monday. The Orioles return home to host the Twins on Tuesday, with Cade Povich set to start.
