Angels’ Thaiss belts two HRs, game-winner to halt skid vs. O’s

Third baseman Matt Thaiss hit a pair of home runs, including a walk-off solo shot in the ninth, to carry the Los Angeles Angels past the Baltimore Orioles, 5-4, in Anaheim, Calif., on Sunday afternoon.

Thaiss stroked a 95 mph fastball on a full count from Baltimore reliever Mychal Givens (1-5) to right-center to end the Angels' three-game losing streak and prevent the home side from being swept in the four-game series.

Albert Pujols hit his 650th career home run, and Thaiss also slugged a two-run homer in the second inning.

Brian Goodwin went 2-for-4 with double, and reliever Taylor Cole (1-1) earned the win for the Angels, who are 1-3 on their seven-game homestand. Pujols, who is sixth all-time in home runs, moved to 10 behind fifth-place Willie Mays.

Jonathan Villar went 3-for-4 with a double, stolen base, two RBIs and a double. Trey Mancini drove in pair with a single.

Baltimore's streak of 10 straight games with two homers, an MLB record, was snapped.

Los Angeles starter Felix Pena, who tossed five innings and allowed four runs (one earned), retired the first five Baltimore hitters in the game - three by strikeouts -- before calling for the trainer after a problem with his hand developed with two outs in the second inning.

But the right-hander went to the dugout, addressed the issue and forced Jace Peterson to hit a grounder for his sixth consecutive out.

Thaiss launched a 79 mph 0-2 slider to right field for a two-run homer in the bottom of the frame.

The long ball was Thaiss' third this season and second in the series.

Making his 20th start and owning an 0-7 mark in nine day games, Baltimore starter Dylan Bundy was victimized again by the home run, allowing his 22nd deep shot.

Villar hooked a drive to right field to score Stevie Wilkerson with a two-out, RBI double in the third to make it 2-1.

Baltimore scored three runs on two hits - a run-scoring single by Villar and a two-RBI single by Mancini - in the fifth for a 4-2 lead, and they were aided by Pena's throwing error and left fielder Goodwin's fielding miscue that led to all three markers being unearned.

The Angels tied it in the sixth on Pujols' two-run shot, swinging away at a 3-0 90 mph fastball and sending it out to left-center, tying the game at 4-4 and ending Bundy's day.

--Field Level Media