Angels Bombard Rockies With Home Runs To Coast To 10-2 Victory
DENVER (CBSLA.com) — The Angels came out swinging in the opening game of a short two-game series with the Colorado Rockies, as they won 10-2 thanks to four home runs and a solid pitching outing from starter Andrew Heaney.
Heaney came into the start for the Angels with a 1-0 record and 1.96 ERA in just two starts before Tuesdays' contest.
Heaney was on the Miami Marlins last season but was part of the Dodgers trade that sent Dee Gordon to the Miami Marlins in exchange for Chris Hatcher, Austin Barnes and Enrique Hernandez, and Heaney.
The Dodgers would trade Heaney to the Los Angeles Angels just hours later in exchange for second baseman Howie Kendrick.
Heaney humorously drew some attention for his tweet in which he thanked the Dodgers for the five hours he was on the team.
Well, @Dodgers we had a good run! Great to be a part of such a storied franchise. #thanksforthememories
— Andrew Heaney (@Heandog8) December 11, 2014
Heaney faced Rockies starter Chad Bettis, who sported a 4-3 record before the game began.
Bettis would prefer not to remember this game, as the Rockies hurler allowed 10 earned runs in just 2 1/3 innings pitched.
He allowed eight hits and walked one, with an ERA of 36.57 for the game. It was the most runs Bettis had allowed in the last 10 games, and he had previously gone at least five innings in his last 10 starts.
Heaney, 24, had a very solid outing at Coors Field, going 7 1/3 innings and only giving up two earned runs. He did allow eight hits but also struck out five batters.
The Angels' bats got started early, as 2015 All-Star and Home Run Derby participant Albert Pujols hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the first inning. This was Pujols' 26th home run of the season, as he is just two home runs shy of tying his total from all of last season.
Pujols last made the All-Star team in 2010 with the St. Louis Cardinals, as this is his first All-Star appearance for the Angels since joining the squad in 2012.
Angels outfielder Matt Joyce would slug a home run of his own in the 2nd innings to extend the Angels lead to 4-0.
Johnny Giavotella would add an RBI single in the inning, and then Mike Trout hit a three-run home run just two batters later, to make the score 8-0 after just two innings.
The Angels weren't done yet, as catcher Chris Ianetta hit his fourth home run of the year on a two-run homer in the third, to make the lead 10-0.
Rockies manager Walt Weiss would bring in reliever Yohan Flande in relief of Bettis, who would follow to shut out the Angels for the next 5 2/3 innings. Flande allowed two hits and only walked one batter in a stellar job of relief pitching.
The Rockies got on the scoreboard with a Drew Stubbs home run in the third inning, which cut the Angels lead to 10-1.
They would score again in the sixth inning on a Troy Tulowitzki RBI single which cut the Angels lead down to eight.
Tulowitzki is a National League Final Vote Candidate as he hopes to make the All-Star team for the fifth time in his career.
Heaney would run into a little bit of trouble in the bottom of the eighth inning, surrendering back-to-back hits too Charlie Blackmon and D.J. LeMahieu, before being relieved by Fernando Salas, who would strike out Tulowitzki and get Nolan Arenado to fly out to end the threat.
Christian Friedrich would make his 36th appearance of the year for the Rockies as he would pitch the top of the ninth inning.
Mike Morin came into the game for the Angels to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning as the Angels finished off the Rockies. Heaney would pick up his second win of the season and lower his ERA to 1.77
With the Houston Astros' losing 2-0 to the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday, the Angels gained a full game in the A.L. West standings to climb to just three games behind the division-leading Astros.
The Angels conclude the short series with the Rockies Wednesday in Denver, as Matt Shoemaker (4-7) will take on Chris Rusin (3-3) at 5:40 p.m.
