The Los Angeles Angels rallied for a decisive 8-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night at Angel Stadium, fueled by a six-run eighth inning that broke a late tie and reversed the team’s recent struggles. Entering the contest, oddsmakers had positioned the matchup as closely contested, listing the Angels as slight favorites with moneyline odds near -115, while the Blue Jays opened around -105.
Logan O’Hoppe provided the go-ahead RBI in the bottom of the eighth before Yoán Moncada delivered a three-run home run to give the Angels their largest single-inning offensive output in nearly two months. Moncada’s home run, his first since September 2023, came in his return to the lineup after a thumb injury sidelined him. The momentum carried over when Jo Adell added a solo homer later in the same frame.
Zach Neto was pivotal in the rally, scoring the tying run following a walk and a stolen base. His aggressive baserunning forced an error on a bunt attempt by Nolan Schanuel, allowing Neto to reach third before eventually scoring. Neto also extended his hitting streak to 11 games, a career high, with a single in the first inning.
The Blue Jays had held a 3-2 lead entering the bottom of the eighth after home runs by George Springer in the first and Anthony Santander in the top half of the eighth. Springer’s solo shot opened the scoring against Angels starter Tyler Anderson, who rebounded to pitch into the seventh inning, allowing six hits and no further damage beyond the opening frame.
Anderson was matched early by Blue Jays right-hander José Ureña, who made his team debut after signing with Toronto just one day earlier. Ureña pitched into the fifth inning, surrendering two runs and navigating through several scoring threats by the Angels.
Taylor Ward helped the Angels respond quickly in the bottom of the first, hitting a two-run homer to center field to erase the early deficit. It was a much-needed hit for Ward, who had entered the game in a 1-for-35 slump.
The game turned in the eighth inning when Yimi García entered in relief for Toronto. Following Neto’s leadoff walk and subsequent steal, a defensive miscue by third baseman Ernie Clement allowed the tying run to score. García was charged with the loss, falling to 0-2 on the season. Angels reliever Héctor Neris earned the win by recording two outs in the top of the eighth.
Toronto’s road trip continues as they attempt to recover from their third consecutive loss. Meanwhile, the Angels secured only their second win in 10 games and will look to build momentum moving forward.
In the series finale scheduled for Wednesday, Angels left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (0-4, 4.21 ERA) is expected to start in pursuit of his first win of the season, while Toronto will send right-hander José Berríos (1-1, 3.98 ERA) to the mound.