Taylor Ward hit a three-run homer to power the visiting Los Angeles Angels to a 5–1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday.
Zach Neto and Anthony Rendon also drove in runs for the Angels, who won for the fifth time in seven games.
Angels starting pitcher Patrick Sandoval (3–1) allowed one run on three hits in five innings. He struck out four and walked three.
Chris Devenski pitched two innings of scoreless relief for Los Angeles. Matt Moore and Carlos Estevez closed out the game with an inning each.
Starting pitcher Steven Matz (0–4) allowed four runs on six hits and two walks in five innings for the Cardinals, who have lost four straight games and seven of their last eight.
Los Angeles took a quick 4-0 lead. Mike Trout drew a one-out walk in the first inning and moved to third on Hunter Renfroe’s single.
Rendon poked an RBI single into right field and, one out later, Ward lined his three-run homer over the left field wall.
The Angels got one-out singles from Chad Wallach and Neto in the second inning, but Matz retired Trout and Renfroe to escape.
Sandoval held the Cardinals hitless for 4 1/3 innings, until Tyler O'Neill hit a fifth-inning single. Paul DeJong poked a single into right field and Renfroe’s error on the play put runners on second and third.
Andrew Knizner hit a run-scoring groundout to cut the Angels’ lead to 4–1. Lars Nootbaar walked, but Sandoval retired Tommy Edman on a chopper back to the mound to end the rally.
Los Angeles pushed its lead to 5–1 in the sixth inning. Luis Rengifo walked with two outs, then Wallach and Neto followed with singles to produce a run.
Paul Goldschmidt hit a leadoff double in the Cardinals’ half of the inning and Willson Contreras walked. But Devenski relieved Sandoval and got Nolan Arenado to hit into a threat-killing double
