New York Mets defeat Los Angeles Angels 6-1 to level series - MLB Update
New York Mets’ starter Mike Pelfrey pitched nine inspiring innings, completing his first game in almost three years, as Mets’ muscled Los Angeles Angels 6-1 on Saturday, June 18 at Citi Field, New York.
Although Pelfrey threw at a pretty high ERA of 4.70, he managed 83 strikes of the total 123 pitches. In the process, he conceded only one run, taking five hits, and struck-out five hitters completing his half-century for the season. He was declared winner
taking his current season tally to 4-5.
Praising Pelfrey’s pitching, Angels’ cleanup batter Bobby Abreu said, “He never stayed in one spot. He was good inside, outside. He mixed it around. You’ve got to give credit to him. He deserves it.”
The scoring opened in the third innings with Jose Reyes scoring his first run of the match. The hitting picked momentum for the Mets in the fourth and fifth innings, scoring two and three runs respectively and taking the match tally to six. Reyes scored
again in the fifth before Carlos Beltran skied a 459 feet hit to complete the Angels’ annihilation for the night. Reyes’s home-run tally for the season currently stands at three.
Angels had an ordinary night with the starting pitcher Dan Haren conceded seven hits and six runs including one home-run in the four innings he pitched. Haren pitched at an ERA of 2.96, managing 58 strikes of the total 89 pitches. His performance was in
vain given the fact that he lost, taking his loss tally for the season to five.
Talking about the fifth inning onslaught by the Mets, Haren said, "They disrupted my rhythm out there. I was trying to be quick to home, but obviously I wasn't quick enough, the last inning kind of got out of control."
Hisanori Takahashi, Bobby Cassevah and Trevor Bell collectively threw four innings between them as relief pitchers but couldn’t assist much with the results.
The Angels opened their scoring account in the sixth inning with first baseman Mark Trumbo’s mammoth 422 feet homer. By that time however, the result was already predictable.
Having lost the first game of the series 3-4 and struggling 35-36 in the season, it will be interesting to see how this win affects the dressing room morale for the Mets.
The Angels, having won the first game of the series and having an impressive away record this season, just need to gather themselves to gain back the momentum.
The final game on Sunday, June 19 will be a showpiece, given the series standing at 1-1 after two games.
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