Gary Sánchez delivered a decisive blow in the seventh inning with a grand slam as the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Los Angeles Angels 11-2 on Sunday, completing a three-game sweep at Camden Yards. The victory continued an intense stretch for Baltimore, which has secured three series sweeps over its last five matchups.
Sánchez’s grand slam, his first since August 15 of last season and the sixth of his career, came with two outs off reliever Connor Brogdon. The catcher drove a fastball into the left-center field stands to extend Baltimore’s lead to 9-2. The slam marked the Orioles’ third of the season and their first since May 14.
The Orioles, now 30-40, have climbed to within 10 games of the .500 mark for the first time since they stood at 15-25. The sweep over the Angels was fueled by timely hitting and strong pitching, including home runs from Ramón Urías, Jordan Westburg, and Sánchez’s pivotal shot.
Cade Povich earned his second win of the season, his first since April 24, after entering the game in a long relief role. In his first bullpen appearance across 29 major league outings, Povich threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings to help preserve Baltimore’s lead. He relieved opener Scott Blewett and kept the Angels’ bats quiet through the middle innings.
The Angels opened scoring in the first inning when Nolan Schanuel hit a solo home run, his second in two games. Baltimore responded quickly, with Urías hitting a two-run homer later in the same frame to put the Orioles in front. Ramón Laureano added an RBI single in the fourth inning to give Baltimore a 3-2 edge.
In the sixth inning, Sánchez and Cedric Mullins reached base against Los Angeles starter Yusei Kikuchi, who mishandled a bunt attempt and threw the ball down the right-field line, allowing a run to score. Coby Mayo followed with a run-scoring double that pushed Baltimore’s lead to three runs. Kikuchi (2-6) was charged with five runs, three of which were earned over 5 2/3 innings, striking out 10 in the loss.
Seranthony Domínguez played a key role in quelling a potential rally in the seventh. Entering with the bases loaded and one out, he struck out Jo Adell and pinch hitter LaMonte Wade Jr. to end the inning and preserve a 5-2 lead.
Westburg added a two-run home run in the eighth inning, sealing the Orioles’ dominant win. Baltimore improved to 5-1 against Los Angeles this season and 20-6 in the head-to-head series since 2022.
Looking ahead, the Angels will open a four-game road series against the New York Yankees on Monday. Right-hander José Soriano (4-5, 3.86 ERA) is scheduled to start for Los Angeles. Baltimore begins a four-game set at Tampa Bay, though the team has not yet announced its starting pitchers. According to betting markets, the Angels opened as +135 underdogs for their series opener in New York, with the Yankees listed as -155 favorites. The over/under for total runs is set at 8.5.
