Griffin Canning’s strong outing helps Angels end losing streak

Griffin Canning pitched six innings of one-run ball, Nolan Schanuel hit his first career leadoff homer, and the Angels ended their three-game skid with a 7-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night.

Willie Calhoun had three hits, including an RBI double during the Angels’ four-run first, while Zach Neto and Taylor Ward homered later in the Angels’ seventh win in 26 games. Kevin Pillar had his fourth consecutive multihit game for the Angels, who pounded out 14 hits while salvaging the finale of a 2-5 homestand against Missouri’s two major league teams.

“We just kept the line going from top to bottom,” Neto said. “That’s what we’re all about as a team. We just play the game right, and we get the rewards. When we do the little things right, good things happen.”

Canning (2-4) had another sharp start for the Angels, finishing the homestand with 11-2/3 innings of one-run ball over two outings. St. Louis managed five hits and three walks off Canning, but the right-hander stranded six runners and held the Cardinals scoreless for his first five innings.

“To be able to go out there with a lead that early in the game just allows you to be on the attack from the start,” Canning said. “It was awesome.”

Paul Goldschmidt homered in the sixth for the Cardinals, whose three-game winning streak ended. St. Louis still hasn’t swept a series this season.

“I still like what we saw today out of a lot of the guys — a lot of the at-bats, the defense,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “Still some positives out of a series win, but unfortunately we couldn’t sweep.”

Lance Lynn (1-2) gave up four runs and eight hits with two walks over five innings for St. Louis. The veteran has given up at least four earned runs in all three of his starts in May.

“That first inning ... there were some oddities there, but (Lynn) kept it to four runs and gave us a shot,” Marmol said. “Overall, we had an opportunity.”

Schanuel, the Angels’ 22-year-old first baseman, hit his fourth homer into the short porch in right field on Lynn’s third pitch. Calhoun added an RBI double moments later before scoring on Pillar’s infield single.

Pillar, who eventually scored on a wild pitch, went two for three to improve to 10 for 16 with eight RBIs in his last four games with the team that signed him May 1 after the Chicago White Sox designated him for assignment.

“(Calhoun) has been swinging that bat well, along with Pillar,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “Those two veterans there have really given us a shot in the arm.”

Goldschmidt led off the sixth with his fourth homer and the latest sign of improved form at the plate. The 2022 National League most valuable player has two homers in his last four games after hitting only two while largely struggling through his first 37 games.

Neto hit his fourth homer later in the sixth off Nick Robertson. Ward also got his eighth homer off the reliever in the seventh before Calhoun doubled and scored on Mickey Moniak’s single.

Angels third baseman Miguel Sanó is headed to the spring training complex in Arizona to continue his recovery from left knee inflammation. He hopes to be back in a week.

Up next

Angels left-hander Tyler Anderson (3-4, 2.92 ERA) takes the mound Friday at Texas against longtime Angels starter Andrew Heaney and the Rangers in Angels manager Ron Washington’s return to face the team he led to two World Series.