Jack Kochanowicz threw 5 2/3 solid innings and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-2 on Saturday night, evening the series in Anaheim, Calif.
Jo Adell homered and the Angels scored in three of the first five innings on the way to snapping a two-game skid.
The Orioles lost for the sixth time in their last seven games, with Ryan Mountcastle accounting for two of the team’s six hits and Ramon Laureano providing a ninth-inning, pinch-hit home run. Kyle Gibson (0-2), making his third start of the season, took the loss, giving up five runs in four innings.
Kochanowicz (2-5) worked 5 2/3 innings, allowing one run on four hits and four walks while striking out four.
Brock Burke, the last of four relievers, closed out the victory despite surrendering Laureano’s homer to open the ninth.
Nolan Schanuel had two hits and a run for Los Angeles, which has won four of its last seven.
The Angels put up two runs in the first inning, with Yoan Moncada’s single and Taylor Ward’s sacrifice fly providing the runs.
Adell’s fifth homer of the season came with two outs in the fourth. The Angels weren’t done in the inning, with Matthew Lugo’s triple — his first major league hit and RBI — making it 4-0.
Luis Rengifo’s groundout plated another run in the fifth.
Mountcastle’s two-out double in the sixth got the Orioles on the board.
Baltimore avoided more trouble in the bottom of the inning when Cionel Perez escaped a bases-loaded jam.
Laureano’s fifth home run of the season came when he pinch hit for Ryan O’Hearn.
The Angels prevailed despite stranding eight runners on base. They drew six walks.
Charlie Morton gave the Orioles two shutout innings of relief as he tries to sort out struggles that have persisted since the beginning of the season.
