ANAHEIM — So far the Michael Lorenzen experiment has been a success.
Lorenzen picked up his second victory in three starts, working six innings in the Angels’ 3-0 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Monday night.
He got all the runs he needed from another Angels experiment, putting Taylor Ward in the leadoff spot. Ward hit a pair of homers and drove in three, the first multi-homer game of his career.
The Angels’ bullpen then shut down Cleveland over the final three innings to lock up the victory for Lorenzen.
Lorenzen, 30, signed with the Angels to come home – he pitched at Fullerton High and Cal State Fullerton – but also because he wanted to be a starter, after spending most of his career as a reliever with the Cincinnati Reds.
Lorenzen now has a 2.93 ERA after he held the Guardians to three hits on Monday.
His six innings were grueling, though. He allowed at least one baserunner in five of six innings, and he walked four.
He was in a particularly nasty jam in the sixth, just after Ward had given the Angels a 1-0 lead. After failing to get a third strike that appeared to be in the zone, Lorenzen grooved one that Amed Rosario hit off the left field fence, for a double. Lorenzen then walked José Ramirez and fell behind cleanup hitter Franmil Reyes 3-and-0.
Lorenzen caught a break when Reyes nicked a 3-and-1 pitch with his bat as he was trying to get out of the way. He then struck out the Cleveland DH.
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Lorenzen then got Josh Naylor to ground into a double play.
Right-hander Mike Mayers then came out for the seventh, and he pitched a perfect inning. After a rough start to his season, Mayers has not allowed a run in any of his last three games.
Ryan Tepera followed Mayers pitched a perfect inning, atoning for a sloppy game in his last time out. Tepera walked two of the five batters he faced and suffered his first blown save of the season, although the unearned runs were charged to Aaron Loup.
Closer Raisel Iglesias pitched the ninth, going through the middle of the Cleveland order, to pick up his third save.
More to come on this story.