ATLANTA — The Angels’ 4-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Monday will go down as one of their most impressive pitching performances of the season.

Opening a road series against the team with the best record in the majors, the Angels had to scratch their scheduled starter. They also likely wanted to give their top two relievers the night off after a heavy workload the day before.

With all of that working against them, the Angels got the job done. Spot starter Chase Silseth worked five innings, and relievers José Soriano, Aaron Loup and Reynaldo López blanked the powerful Braves over the last four.

The Angels (56-51) have won 10 of their last 13 games, and they are now three games out of a wild-card spot and 4½ games out of first place in the American League West.

“Hopes are high right now,” Silseth said. “It’s really great to be part of.”

Silseth got the ball because scheduled starter Griffin Canning was dealing with what he called “general soreness.” He was told on Sunday that they might need him, and he got word on Monday morning that he would start. Silseth delivered just about the best outing the Angels could have envisioned.

Silseth gave up one run, on a Matt Olson homer. He struck out four and did not walk any.

Although he has barely pitched because the Angels have six starters they prioritize ahead of him, in his last two starts he’s now allowed two runs in 10⅔ innings. He struck out 10 the last time out against the New York Yankees.

“We certainly have some decisions to make,” Manager Phil Nevin said of the plan for Silseth going forward.

For as well as Silseth pitched, he still lost some velocity in the fifth inning, which was why Nevin pulled him after just 63 pitches. The Braves were also about to go through the lineup for the third time.

While it made perfect sense to pull Silseth at that point, it nonetheless put the Angels into a potentially tough spot because their top two relievers – Carlos Estévez and Matt Moore – had each worked more than one inning the day before. Estévez threw 34 pitches and Moore threw 29.

Soriano followed Silseth to the mound and picked up four outs. He got out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth by getting Travis d’Arnaud on a grounder. Loup then retired all three hitters he faced.

López, who came in to face the top of the lineup, issued a two-out walk to Ozzie Albies but then he got Austin Riley on a grounder. López also handled the ninth, picking up the save in his second game since the Angels acquired him last week. His fastball topped out at 101 mph.

Nevin said López was “phenomenal” and catcher Chad Wallach said he was “incredible.”

“I knew his stuff was good already, but catching is impressive,” Wallach said. “We’re definitely happy to have him.”

The pitching staff didn’t have much margin for error, with the Angels’ offense in the first eight innings coming on solo homers from Luis Rengifo, Randal Grichuk and Wallach.

The Angels were 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position until C.J. Cron punched an RBI single into center field in the top of the ninth.

Cron and Grichuk were each playing their first game since the Angels acquired them in a trade on Sunday night.

It added up to a nice clean victory against an outstanding team, giving the Angels a good start in this three-game series.

“Every team’s a good team,” Wallach said. “You know they’re one of the best teams in the league. But we think we can beat any team. That’s how good I think we are. We can play with anybody. Any win is special.”

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