BALTIMORE (AP) — Pete Alonso hit a two-run single, Tyler O’Neill had his third pinch-hit homer of the season, and the trade-depleted Baltimore Orioles beat the Los Angeles Angels 3-1 on Tuesday night.
Cade Povich pitched six scoreless innings in his first start in nearly three months for the Orioles, who traded away Adley Rutschman, Taylor Ward, Tyler Wells and Dean Kremer at the deadline but remain in contention for a wild-card playoff berth.
Christian Franklin made his major league debut, starting in Ward’s former spot in left field, and scored on Alonso’s third-inning single against former Oriole Grayson Rodriguez (3-4).
O’Neill pinch-hit for leadoff batter Dylan Beavers in the eighth inning against Mitch Farris and connected for his eighth homer of the season. That restored Baltimore’s two-run lead after Los Angeles got within 2-1 in the top half on Vaughn Grissom’s RBI double against Andrew Kittredge.
Yennier Cano worked the ninth for his second save. Baltimore (55-58) moved within 1 1/2 games of Cleveland for the final AL wild-card spot but is one of several teams sitting a few games under .500.
Sidelined since early May with left elbow inflammation, Povich allowed seven hits, struck out seven and walked one while throwing 88 pitches, 60 for strikes. The Orioles’ trade of Kremer to the Twins opened up a spot in their starting rotation.
The Angels had 11 hits but went 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position.
Rodriguez pitched a season-high seven innings, allowing two runs on three hits to lower his ERA to 7.24. The Orioles traded him to the Angels in the offseason for Ward, who was shipped to Seattle at the deadline.
Up next
LHP Reid Detmers (3-9, 4.03 ERA) starts Wednesday for the Angels against Orioles LHP Trevor Rogers (6-7, 4.27).
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
