ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - It looked like a nothing move. A player the Baltimore Orioles had no plans for, going to the Los Angeles Angels as maybe some emergency rotation filler.
Only right-hander Parker Bridwell has proven to be much more than that and Tuesday night, the Orioles got to witness the newfound success of the pitcher they simply sold to the Angels back in mid-April.
Bridwell threw seven strong innings, leading the Angels to a 3-2 victory over the Orioles to snap a Baltimore three-game winning streak.
Bridwell (6-1) allowed one run. He gave up six hits without walking a batter, striking out four. The Angels are 10-1 in games he’s started.
“When you’re playing against your old team and know all the guys, it can be a distraction,” said Angels manager Mike Scioscia.
“Parker is very level headed. He has great poise. I think he treated it as just another generic team.”
Jeremy Hellickson (7-6) matched Bridwell early. He had retired 10 straight in the 1-1 game when the Angels chased him with four consecutive hits in the seventh.
Luis Valbuena doubled in the go-ahead run and C.J. Cron singled in another. Cron had opened the game’s scoring in the second. After Andrelton Simmons singled and stole second, Cron lined an RBI hit to left.
“I thought (Hellickson) deserved a better fate,” said catcher Caleb Joseph. “He was really cruising there. Then he just kind of lost his bite on a couple pitches. It just all happened at once.”
Joseph drove in both of Baltimore’s runs.
The Orioles tied it at 1-1 in the fifth. Tim Beckham singled, took third on a double by Seth Smith and scored on Joseph’s single, putting runners on the corners with no outs.
But Smith mistakenly broke for home on a grounder to third and was easily thrown out. Bridwell struck out Adams Jones and got Manny Machado to line out to Mike Trout for the third out.
“It was big to minimize the damage,” Bridwell said. “It always feels good.”
Rookie right-hander Keynan Middleton gave up a solo home run in the ninth to Joseph but was able to collect his first career save. He refused to talk to the media after the game.
Meanwhile, Bridwell is finding a new lease on his professional life after spending six years mostly with Baltimore’s farm teams. Even when it means pitching against former teammates.
“At the end it was a little sweeter,” Bridwell said. “But I just tried to execute it like a regular start.”
BRIDWELL IMPRESSES
Joseph said he wasn’t stunned to watch Bridwell succeed Tuesday.
“Parker has good stuff,” he said. “We knew that when he was with us. He’s able to throw that sinker and then a cut fastball. When you’ve got a high velocity pitch like that where one goes one way and one goes the other, you pick your poison. It’s tough.”
ANGELS EJECTED
Both Scioscia and designated hitter Albert Pujols were ejected at the end of the seventh, unhappy over a called check swing by first base umpire Ramon De Jesus. Scioscia called it “an overreaction.”
“It’s an important guy to throw out of the game,” Scioscia said. “He certainly wasn’t up at the front step yelling at him or drawing attention. He just raised his hands at the bat rack. You had to be looking for him to have seen it.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Orioles: Plan to activate DH Mark Trumbo (right rib cage strain) from the disabled list for Wednesday’s game against the Angels. He last played on July 29.
Angels: Third baseman Yunel Escobar was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a mild oblique strain. He is expected to be out two to three weeks. . RHP Matt Shoemaker underwent surgery to relieve pressure on his compressed radial nerve. He is out for the season. . Scioscia said Andrew Heaney (Tommy John surgery), who has made five rehab appearances, could make his next start with the Angels.
UP NEXT
Orioles: RHP Kevin Gausman (8-7, 5.15 ERA) hopes to continue his recent turnaround in the series finale against the Angels. Gausman is 3-0 with a 0.65 ERA in his last four starts.
Angels: RHP Troy Scribner (1-0, 4.50 ERA) is scheduled to make the second start of his career against the Orioles. He allowed five runs (two earned) in four innings in his first start Friday against the Athletics.
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