ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Jo Adell had a bases-clearing double in a four-run ninth inning against San Francisco closer Ryan Walker and the Los Angeles Angels rallied to beat the Giants 5-4 on Sunday, spoiling the day for Justin Verlander in the rubber match of a three-game series.
Verlander was in line for his first victory in his fifth start with the Giants leading 4-1. But Walker (0-1) walked Mike Trout leading off and Jorge Soler followed with a single. Logan O’Hoppe had a one-out hit to load the bases before Walker hit Zach Neto to force in a run. Adell hit a 1-2 pitch down the left-field line.
Verlander allowed just two hits and a run in six innings with six strikeouts. He fanned Trout on pitches of 96.2 mph in the first inning and 97.4 mph in the sixth, Verlander’s fastest strikeout pitch since 2023.
Yusei Kikuchi allowed an unearned run in 5 1/3 innings for the Angels. He was in line for the loss after he walked Tyler Fitzgerald on his 102nd pitch and Sam Huff greeted reliever Brock Burke with a two-run homer. Fitzgerald walked and scored on Willy Adames single off Michael Darrell-Hicks in the eighth.
Adames singled in Heliot Ramos in the fifth for a 1-0 lead.
The Angels tied it when Neto homered on the first pitch from Verlander in the bottom half.
Kikuchi gave up five hits and four walks with six strikeouts. Darrell-Hicks (1-0) got his first career win.
The Angels won for just the second time in their last seven games.
Key moment
Verlander ran into trouble in the fourth after pitching three hitless innings. The Angels loaded the bases with two outs, but Verlander struck out O’Hoppe swinging to end it.
Key stat
Huff’s home run was his 11th in 86 career games and his first since 2023 while a member of the Rangers.
Up next
The Giants send LHP Robbie Ray (3-0, 4.19) out for Monday’s opener of a four-game series with the visiting Brewers. RHP Quinn Priester (1-0, 0.90) starts for Milwaukee.
The Angels end a homestand with three against the Pirates. RHP José Soriano (2-2, 3.16) starts Tuesday’s opener for LA against LHP Bailey Falter (1-2, 4.91).
___
AP MLB:
