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Angels 9 Braves 3
Parker Bridwell, the Angels pitcher making his first career MLB start this evening against the Braves, had quite the evening. The kid got a W, he looked very solid in the process, and he was backed up by a HUGE Halo Blitz in the bottom of the third. Run support from this Angels club, sans Mike Trout, in your first MLB start? This kid has some good mojo, it seems.
Bridwell’s night really only had one rocky patch, and that was in the top of the third when he gave up a two-run shot to Matt Kemp. He would end up going 6.0 IP with six hits and three runs (all earned), with one walk and four strikeouts. He looked good out there, and really only had issues with the long ball, but then again, which Angels pitcher doesn’t? Besides that Matt Kemp shot, he’d give up a solo homer to Tyler Flowers in the sixth.
That Flowers homer...and the Matt Kemp homer...really didn’t mean all that much tonight, and Parker Bridwell had the rare Halos hurler appearance where the pitcher doesn’t have to sweat giving up dingers. That’s all due to the onslaught of run scoring the Angels unleashed in the bottom of the third against the Braves.
Bartolo Colon was Atlanta’s starter, but he wouldn’t make it out of that insane third. How insane? Well, Albert Pujols had TWO at-bats; the first was when he sent a booming home run to LF, putting three on the board and giving the Halos the 3-2 lead. They’d never look back, thanks to some more hitting, and three errors by the Braves. When all was said and done, they put NINE runs on the board, everybody scored a run, it was glorious and Mr. Bridwell had to have been smiling as wide as the high desert sky.
When you put a beatdown like that, in one inning, on a team like the Braves, chances are you’ve got that game in the bag. Thankfully, that held true tonight and the Angels got the much-needed victory 9-3. Parker Bridwell got his first win, in his first start, powered by Albert Pujols’ 599th career homer. That has to feel damn good. Welcome to the show, kid.