New leadoff hitter Mike Trout helps Angels end losing streak

Mike Trout hit his first leadoff home run since 2012, and the Angels defeated the Baltimore Orioles 7-4 on Tuesday night at Angel Stadium to end 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 gave up 18 runs (17 earned) in 19 innings in his first four starts — gave up three runs and 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 eighth home run of the season.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the 11 years and 208 days is the second-longest span between 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 Angels 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 ended an 0-for-17 skid.

Rodriguez, who gave up 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.

Before the game, the Angels announced pitcher Robert Stephenson said he would undergo Tommy John surgery on his right elbow on April 30, and expected a rehabilitation period of 12-18 months.

Up next

The teams wrap up their season series Wednesday afternoon. Right-hander Dean Kremer (0-2, 4.91 ERA) goes for Baltimore and the Angels counter with left-hander Tyler Anderson (2-2, 1.42 ERA).