PHOENIX — If getting back to .500 was the hard part, the Angels made getting over .500 look routine on Sunday.
With a 10-3 blowout of the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Angels completed a three-game series sweep, won their sixth straight overall, and most importantly gave themselves a winning record for the first time in 43 days by improving to 33-32.
And unlike their first two games this weekend — an extra-innings win on Friday and five-run comeback on Saturday — Sunday afternoon’s finale was never in doubt, the Angels scoring six runs in the first two innings en route matching their most decisive winning margin of the season.
Starting pitcher Patrick Sandoval cruised through a six-plus-inning, two-run outing and also contributed with the bat during a key four-run second inning.
After Max Stassi gave the Angels an early two-run lead with his fifth homer of the season, Sandoval came to the plate with one on and no outs in the top of the second.
Sandoval tried to bunt on the first pitch from Diamondbacks starter Jon Duplantier but missed. He showed bunt again on the second pitch, but then pulled it back and swung, bouncing his first career MLB hit past a pulled-in infield to put runners on the corners with no outs.
From there, David Fletcher plated one run with a safety squeeze, reaching first himself as the Diamondbacks unsuccessfully tried to throw home. Two runs scored in the next at-bat, when Justin Upton lined a single up the middle — one his three hits on the day — that center fielder Ketel Marte misplayed. Then Jared Walsh pulled an RBI double into the right-field corner.
The Angels tacked on two more runs in the sixth thanks to doubles from Taylor Ward, Juan Lagares and David Fletcher, then a couple more in the eighth on a two-run home run by Walsh, who had his first multi-RBI game since May 25.
During this six-game winning streak, the Angels are now averaging 7.66 runs per game.
On the mound, Sandoval only gave up four singles (two of which were infield hits) and two walks in six-plus innings, striking out four batters while using his fastball and changeup for all but 10 of his 94 pitches.
Since moving into the rotation on May 17 -- initially to fill in while Alex Cobb was battling a blister, and remaining ever since following José Quintana’s shoulder injury -- Sandoval has a 2.77 ERA in five starts.
