ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Mike Trout hit his first leadoff home run since 2012, and the Los Angeles Angels defeated the Baltimore Orioles 7-4 on Tuesday night to snap a five-game losing streak.
Zach Neto had two hits and drove in two runs as the Angels’ six through nine hitters combined for eight of their 11 hits along with five RBIs.
“I hope what we did tonight is something that we can just grow on. It was just a matter of time,” manager Ron Washington said. “It was nice to see some offense. Everybody got involved, there was a lot of energy, so we just got to keep it going.”
Baltimore’s Gunnar Henderson hit a towering 414-foot home run in the seventh inning, and Adley Rutschman had three hits.
Griffin Canning (1-3) — who allowed 18 runs (17 earned) in 19 innings in his first four starts — gave up three runs on five hits in five innings and struck out four. It was the right-hander’s first win in 11 starts dating to last season.
Carlos Estévez retired the side in the ninth to pick up his fourth save in five opportunities.
“It was nice to go out there with that lead and know that the offense was going to keep adding on,” Canning said. “Mike set the tone right away and we didn’t look back.”
Batting leadoff for the first time since 2020, Trout drove a fastball from Baltimore’s Grayson Rodriguez (3-1) off the auxiliary scoreboard above the wall in right-center field in the first inning to put the Angels on top.
It was the sixth leadoff homer of Trout’s career and first since Sept. 28, 2012. It was Trout’s ninth home run of the season, which ties him for the major league lead.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the 11 years and 208 days is the second-longest span between consecutive leadoff homers in MLB history. The longest is 12 years, 286 days by Omar Vizquel.
The Angels had six extra-base hits — including RBI doubles by Luis Rengifo, Logan O’Hoppe and Neto — as they built a 7-0 lead after four innings.
Neto, Jo Adell and Nolan Schanuel had run-scoring singles as the Halos tacked on two runs in the second, third and fourth innings.
The Orioles got on the board with three in the fifth on Henderson’s sacrifice fly and Ryan O’Hearn’s two-run double.
Jackson Holliday singled in the fifth inning for his first hit since April 14 and snapped an 0-for-18 skid.
Rodriguez, who allowed only seven runs in his first four starts, struggled in his second outing against the Angels. The right-hander gave up seven runs and 11 hits with seven strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.
“I didn’t think he executed. Looking back at the replays, a lot of balls were kind of middle of the plate and thigh high. Wrong parts of the plate to the game plan and they made him pay for it,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said of Rodriguez.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Angels: RHP Robert Stephenson said he will undergo Tommy John surgery on his right elbow on April 30, and expects a rehab period of 12-18 months.
UP NEXT
The teams wrap up their season series Wednesday afternoon. RHP Dean Kremer (0-2, 4.91 ERA) goes for Baltimore while the Angels counter with lefty Tyler Anderson (2-2, 1.42 ERA).
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