Goldschmidt Home Run Leads Way As Diamondbacks Defeat Angels
ANAHEIM (AP) — Paul Goldschmidt hit an early two-run homer and Zack Greinke pitched seven-hit ball into the seventh inning of the Arizona Diamondbacks' 12th victory in 16 games in June, 7-4 over the struggling Los Angeles Angels on Monday night.
Ketel Marte and Nick Ahmed also homered and Jeff Mathis had a two-run double for the Diamondbacks, who opened a two-game interleague set with their ninth win in 11 games. Jarrod Dyson had an RBI single, and the center fielder also leaped to take away a possible game-tying grand slam from Justin Upton in the seventh inning.
Upton and Albert Pujols hit back-to-back homers in the fourth for the Angels, who have lost seven of eight to fall well out of playoff position in the AL.
Greinke (6-5) wasn't dominant while yielding three runs and striking out five. He left after giving up Kole Calhoun's one-out single in the seventh with a 6-2 lead.
Two more Angels reached base against Yoshihisa Hirano before Dyson dramatically tracked down Upton's full-count drive to the wall. Although it was hard to tell whether the shot would have cleared the fence, Dyson kept it in the yard as a mere 390-foot sacrifice fly.
Mike Trout nearly pulled his own leaping feat moments later, but Ahmed's homer glanced off his glove on the way over the center field fence in the eighth.
Jaime Barria (5-3) yielded six hits and six runs in four innings for the Angels. The 21-year-old Panamanian rookie lost his second straight start after winning five of his first seven in the majors.
Arizona led 2-0 after two batters in its first game at Angel Stadium since June 2015. Goldschmidt followed Jon Jay's leadoff single with his 15th homer, giving him 26 hits in his last 51 at-bats during another torrid stretch for the Diamondbacks' cornerstone.
Marte added a leadoff homer in the second, and Mathis boosted his average to .190 with an RBI double in the fourth for the longtime Angels catcher.
Greinke allowed only two hits in the first three innings, but Upton — the Diamondbacks' No. 1 pick in the 2005 draft — and Pujols connected leading off the fourth for the Angels' first back-to-back homers since last August.
Trout had two singles and two walks, but didn't score. He also was caught stealing for the first time in 14 attempts this season by Mathis.
BIG SAVE
Archie Bradley got four outs for his third save. He threw 19 consecutive fastballs before his first off-speed pitch, and Upton grounded into a double play for the first two outs of the ninth.
ALBERT'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Pujols' homer was the 626th of his career, pulling him closer to Ken Griffey Jr. (630) for sixth place on baseball's career list. Pujols scored the 1,751st run of his career, tying Jimmie Foxx for 21st place.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Diamondbacks: OFs Steven Souza Jr. (strained pectoral) and A.J. Pollock (broken thumb) are making progress in their recoveries, but aren't cleared for full baseball activity.
Angels: After batting .145 before his injury, Calhoun went 2 for 3 in his return from a nine-game absence with a strained right oblique muscle. Even with Calhoun back, the Angels have 13 players on their disabled list, including nine pitchers. ... Right-handed reliever Jim Johnson played catch. He is out with back stiffness. ... RHP Garrett Richards is playing catch, but still resting his left hamstring strain.
UP NEXT
Diamondbacks: Matt Koch (5-3, 4.09 ERA) is 3-0 in four starts since May 22. He has never faced the Angels.
Angels: Relief pitcher Felix Pena (0-0, 10.13 ERA) is expected to make his first start of the season while Los Angeles patches a hole in its injury-plagued rotation. The offseason acquisition has been up and down from Triple-A Salt Lake, never earning a regular spot in the bullpen.
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