Jo Adell’s three-run homer helps Angels defeat Diamondbacks

PHOENIX —  José Soriano pitched effectively into the ninth inning, Jo Adell hit a three-run homer, and the Angels rolled over the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-3 on Wednesday night.

The Angels bounced back from a 9-4 loss in the series opener by jumping on Arizona starter Slade Cecconi (1-5) early and often.

Zach Neto hit a solo homer in the second inning, and Adell launched his three-run shot during the Angels’ four-run fourth inning. Matt Thaiss added a run-scoring double in the sixth inning that was initially ruled a homer before being overturned upon review.

Neto and Nolan Schanuel each had three of the Angels’ 14 hits.

“Offense came out early and kept going the whole game — that’s a good thing right there,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “We played solid defense and Soriano took care of the rest.”

He sure did.

The second-year right-hander was helped by four double plays in the first five innings and didn’t allow a runner past first base until Christian Walker’s leadoff homer in the eighth. Ketel Marte followed with a two-run homer off Matt Moore in the ninth inning.

Soriano (4-5) gave up two runs and five hits with five strikeouts and two walks.

“Everything was working,” Soriano said through an interpreter. “I tried to minimize pitches to every batter.”

The Angels started knocking balls around Chase Field from the game’s opening hitter, scoring seven runs in the first four innings.

Kevin Pillar hit a run-scoring double in the first inning, Willie Calhoun had an RBI single in the third, and Luis Rengifo drove in another with a single in the fourth.

Cecconi allowed seven runs and 10 hits in three innings.

“Starting pitching for us today I felt like could have been better,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “Slade needs to be on the attack, work his fastball on the edges and complement that with secondary stuff. It’s a grind when your starting pitching gives you three, maybe four innings.”

Soriano mixed the majors’ highest average fastball (98.6 mph) with a wicked slider to keep the Diamondbacks off balance.

He held Arizona to three hits until Walker jumped on a 2-0 pitch in the eighth inning and sent it out to center for his 13th of the season. The homer was Walker’s 133rd, moving him past Chris Young on the Diamondbacks’ career list.

“I think we can put that in the we-can-all-be-better bucket and move on,” Lovullo said. “Their starting pitcher was pretty good and you’ve got to every once in a while tip your cap to that kind of performance.”

Angels catcher Logan O’Hoppe has been cleared to play after taking a foul ball to the groin in the sixth inning against Arizona on Tuesday night, but manager Ron Washington wanted to give him a day off as a precaution. Left fielder Taylor Ward also was held out of the lineup after leaving Tuesday’s game late with a tight lower back.

Up next

Angels right-hander Griffin Canning (2-6, 4.65 ERA) faces Arizona right-hander Brandon Pfaadt (2-5, 4.60) in the series finale on Thursday.