ANAHEIM, Calif. _ Despite enjoying a team-best stretch in recent weeks, the Orioles have yet to sweep a series in 2019. Sunday's finale of a four-game set with the Los Angeles Angels didn't change that.
After winning the series' first three games, the Orioles fell, 5-4, narrowly unable to complete what would've been their first sweep since August 2018 and first four-game sweep on the road since August 2011. Pitching for the third time in four games, Mychal Givens allowed a walk-off home run to Matt Thaiss in the bottom of the ninth.
The Orioles still have not won four straight since their season-opening road trip, though they have won seven of their past 11 games and 13 of their past 25. The stretch of success precedes Wednesday's trade deadline, during which many of the players who got them to the precipice of the sweep could be dealt.
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Jonathan Villar followed a hitless series in Arizona with four straight multi-hit games in Anaheim. Sunday's featured three hits, with the first two each scoring runs as the Orioles rallied from an early 2-0 deficit, created when Thaiss hit a home run off Dylan Bundy in the bottom of the second.
In the third, Villar scored Stevie Wilkerson, the hero of Thursday's 16-inning game after becoming the major leagues' first position player to earn a save, with a double in the third. In the fifth, Pedro Severino, who recorded four-hit games in his previous two starts, walked for a second time, recording only his second two-walk game of 2019. Hanser Alberto reached on an error by pitcher Felix Pena, whose only hit allowed to that point was Villar's double.
With two outs and runners on the corners, Villar singled the other way to tie the game, taking second on the play. Trey Mancini, who has homered seven times in his past 11 games, followed with a two-run single to give the Orioles their first lead of the day. But the Orioles failed to score another run.
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The Angels tied the game with another home run off Bundy, who returned to the mound for the sixth having thrown 90 pitches. After Kole Calhoun singled, Albert Pujols sent Bundy's high, 3-0 fastball out to left for a game-tying home run.
Bundy has a 4.91 ERA in two starts since coming off the injured list for right knee tendinitis.
After Shawn Armstrong entered and allowed a single, he, Paul Fry and Givens combined to retire 10 straight before Thaiss' homer. After giving up one run over his previous eight appearances, Givens has been scored on in three straight outings.
