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 Tight game, middle of a pennant race in August, and the Los Angeles
Angels left-hander calmly made pitch after pitch in a 2-1 win over
the Chicago White Sox on Monday night at Angel Stadium.
First baseman C.J. Cron hit a solo homer in the seventh inning to
snap a 1-1 tie to help the Angels stop their three-game losing
streak. Designated hitter Albert Pujols homered in the second inning
to give Los Angeles its only other run on a night it had just four
hits.
But the Angels could get by on such a meager offensive output
because Heaney made big pitches in key situations, holding the White
Sox to one run in six innings, getting a no-decision.
Angels reliever Fernando Salas (3-1) pitched a scoreless seventh for
the win and was followed by Joe Smith (eighth inning) and Huston
Street (ninth inning, 28th save), who closed it out.
But it was Heaney who stole the show, and it was no more evident
than the sixth inning when the White Sox loaded the bases with two
outs on two singles and a hit batter.
Catcher Tyler Flowers stepped to the plate and worked the count
full. After fouling off a changeup, Flowers was caught looking at a
fastball for strike three to end the threat.
"To be able to get a pitch like that in a 3-2 count and the bases
loaded and just stick it, I think it says a lot about Andrew,"
Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He's going to make his pitch, I
think he's very confident, he feels his talent and he's pitching
great baseball for us. He pitched a great game tonight; he
definitely made some key pitches in tough situations."
White Sox starter Carlos Rodon (5-5) pitched well too, throwing an
eight-inning complete game and allowing just four hits. Two of the
hits, though, were the homers by Cron and Pujols.
"Carlos was great. This was probably his best stuff," White Sox
manager Robin Ventura said of his 22-year-old left-hander. "He had
the two homers, but other than that, the command and even after the
first homer, how he reacted to it and responded was great. You're
kind of seeing him mature a bit."
The only run the White Sox scored against Heaney came when the
Angels' defense failed to turn a routine double play, with second
baseman Johnny Giavotella throwing the ball away on a relay to first
and allowing center fielder Adam Eaton to score in the third inning.
The White Sox had other chances but went 0-for-5 with runners in
scoring position.
"We had opportunities today," Ventura said. "We had guys getting on,
we just couldn't do anything with it. You need one to fall in there
and get something going."
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Though Heaney didn't get the win, the Angels won for the eighth time
in his 10 starts since he was called up June 24. He has given up
more than two runs only once in those 10 starts -- Aug. 7 when he
allowed four runs to Baltimore, a game the Angels won 8-4.
"Bad starts are relative, I'd say the start against the Orioles
wasn't what I'd want," Heaney said. "But I know what you're saying.
I pride myself in keeping the team in it and not giving up big hits
in big situations. If you can put ones on the board and not crooked
numbers, you're going to have a pretty good chance."
With Houston losing Monday, the Angels cut their deficit in the
American League West to 2 1/2 games but remained a half-game behind
Baltimore for the second AL wild-card spot.
NOTES: Angels LHP C.J. Wilson will have surgery to remove bone spurs
and chips from his left elbow on Thursday at the Kerlan-Jobe Clinic
in Los Angeles. Wilson, who is expected to be ready to return by
spring training next season, went 8-8 with a 3.89 ERA in 21 starts.
... White Sox 1B Jose Abreu has six hitting streaks of at least 13
games since the beginning of the 2014 season. No other player in the
majors has more than two such streaks during that time. ... Angels
INF Ryan Jackson, called up from Triple-A Salt Lake on Sunday, got
his first start with the Angels, playing third base and batting
ninth. He was hitting .295 for the Bees. ... White Sox OF Trayce
Thompson got his fourth start since his call-up from Triple-A
Charlotte on Aug. 3. Thompson, the son of former NBA player Mychal
Thompson and brother of current NBA player Klay Thompson, went into
the game hitting .500 (6-for-12) with one homer and one double.
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