Trout, Moniak use bats and gloves to power Angels past Cubs, 6-2

Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout (27) runs the bases after hitting a home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Anaheim, Calif., Wednesday, June 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Mike Trout homered, Mickey Moniak had a three-run double and Luis Rengifo hit a tying homer and a tiebreaking RBI single in the Los Angeles Angels’ 6-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night.

Trout and Moniak also made stellar defensive plays for the Halos, who are on their first three-game winning streak in two weeks after taking the first two games from the Cubs to open their homestand.

Hard-throwing reliever Ben Joyce (1-0) earned his first major league victory for the Angels with an eventful sixth inning. The 6-foot-5 right-hander threw 20 of his 27 pitches faster than 100 mph, but walked the bases loaded before escaping on Trey Mancini’s groundout.

Mancini hit an RBI double and scored on Miguel Amaya’s single in the fifth inning for the Cubs, who have lost three straight and nine of 13. Chicago’s bullpen had a second straight rough night at Angel Stadium, while the Cubs’ offense has scored runs in only two of its last 33 innings.

After Trout led off the fourth inning with his 14th homer of the season, a shot to right-center, Rengifo came through with back-to-back big hits for the Angels. Rengifo followed up his solo homer off Jameson Taillon (1-4) in the fifth with a run-scoring single off Mark Leiter Jr. in the sixth.

Moniak came up one batter later with the bases loaded, and the former No. 1 overall pick delivered a double down the right field line.

Taillon yielded four hits and four walks while pitching into the sixth.

Chicago went hitless in the first four innings before taking the lead with three straight hits to open the fifth against Jaime Barria, who finished with five innings of three-hit ball for the Angels.

Barria also got timely help from his defense. Moniak ended the third by sprinting into foul territory and reaching deep into the stands to snag Nico Hoerner’s popup, while Trout tracked down Ian Happ’s drive to the top of the center field wall in the fourth.

Moniak made another marvelous catch on Hoerner’s sinking liner in the eighth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: INF Edwin Ríos went on the 10-day injured list retroactive to last Sunday with a left groin strain. Ríos is 2 for 28 at the plate while playing irregularly. … Michael Rucker threw two innings of scoreless relief after coming up from Triple-A Iowa to take the active roster spot. Rucker had a 5.48 ERA in 20 appearances during his first trip to the big leagues this year.

Angels: OF Taylor Ward was out of the starting lineup with an illness, but was available off the bench. Ward homered Tuesday. … OF Jo Adell was recalled for the first time this season with Hunter Renfroe on the paternity list.

UP NEXT

The Angels’ Reid Detmers (0-5, 5.15 ERA) makes the 11th start of his curiously winless season in the series finale, facing Chicago’s Drew Smyly (5-3, 3.56), who is winless in his last three starts.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Trout, Moniak use bats and gloves to power Angels past Cubs, 6-2

By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Mike Trout homered, Mickey Moniak had a three-run double and Luis Rengifo hit a tying homer and a tiebreaking RBI single in the Los Angeles Angels’ 6-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs. Trout and Moniak also made stellar defensive plays for the Angels, who are on their first three-game winning streak in two weeks. Hard-throwing reliever Ben Joyce earned his first major league victory for the Angels. Trey Mancini hit an RBI double and scored on Miguel Amaya’s single for the Cubs, who have lost three straight and nine of 13.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Mike Trout homered, Mickey Moniak had a three-run double and Luis Rengifo hit a tying homer and a tiebreaking RBI single in the Los Angeles Angels’ 6-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night.

Trout and Moniak also made stellar defensive plays for the Halos, who are on their first three-game winning streak in two weeks after taking the first two games from the Cubs to open their homestand.

Hard-throwing reliever Ben Joyce (1-0) earned his first major league victory for the Angels with an eventful sixth inning. The 6-foot-5 right-hander threw 20 of his 27 pitches faster than 100 mph, but walked the bases loaded before escaping on Trey Mancini’s groundout.

Mancini hit an RBI double and scored on Miguel Amaya’s single in the fifth inning for the Cubs, who have lost three straight and nine of 13. Chicago’s bullpen had a second straight rough night at Angel Stadium, while the Cubs’ offense has scored runs in only two of its last 33 innings.

After Trout led off the fourth inning with his 14th homer of the season, a shot to right-center, Rengifo came through with back-to-back big hits for the Angels. Rengifo followed up his solo homer off Jameson Taillon (1-4) in the fifth with a run-scoring single off Mark Leiter Jr. in the sixth.

Moniak came up one batter later with the bases loaded, and the former No. 1 overall pick delivered a double down the right field line.

Taillon yielded four hits and four walks while pitching into the sixth.

Chicago went hitless in the first four innings before taking the lead with three straight hits to open the fifth against Jaime Barria, who finished with five innings of three-hit ball for the Angels.

Barria also got timely help from his defense. Moniak ended the third by sprinting into foul territory and reaching deep into the stands to snag Nico Hoerner’s popup, while Trout tracked down Ian Happ’s drive to the top of the center field wall in the fourth.

Moniak made another marvelous catch on Hoerner’s sinking liner in the eighth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cubs: INF Edwin Ríos went on the 10-day injured list retroactive to last Sunday with a left groin strain. Ríos is 2 for 28 at the plate while playing irregularly. … Michael Rucker threw two innings of scoreless relief after coming up from Triple-A Iowa to take the active roster spot. Rucker had a 5.48 ERA in 20 appearances during his first trip to the big leagues this year.

Angels: OF Taylor Ward was out of the starting lineup with an illness, but was available off the bench. Ward homered Tuesday. … OF Jo Adell was recalled for the first time this season with Hunter Renfroe on the paternity list.

UP NEXT

The Angels’ Reid Detmers (0-5, 5.15 ERA) makes the 11th start of his curiously winless season in the series finale, facing Chicago’s Drew Smyly (5-3, 3.56), who is winless in his last three starts.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports