Rookie Mitch Farris delivered five solid innings in his major league debut. Jo Adell blasted a two-run homer as the Los Angeles Angels earned a 5-1 win over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night at Kauffman Stadium.
Farris (1-0), a left-hander called up for his first start, overcame early nerves after issuing a leadoff walk. He settled down to allow just one run on three hits, striking out three while issuing two walks across 84 pitches. His outing made him the fourth Angels pitcher to make his big-league debut as a starter in Kansas City, joining Frank Tanana in 1973, Jarrod Washburn in 1998, and Seth Etherton in 2000.
The Angels played without All-Star outfielder Mike Trout, who was scratched less than an hour before first pitch due to a skin infection on his left arm. The team described him as day-to-day, with a reevaluation scheduled for Wednesday. Despite Trout’s absence, Los Angeles generated enough offense to back its rookie starter.
Kansas City struck first in the third inning. Bobby Witt Jr. tripled into the right-center gap and scored on Vinnie Pasquantino’s sacrifice fly, giving the Royals a 1-0 lead. Royals starter Michael Lorenzen (5-9) kept Los Angeles in check early, carrying a two-hit shutout into the sixth.
That changed quickly when Adell stepped to the plate. After a one-out single, the Angels outfielder crushed a 454-foot drive to left field, flipping the score to 2-1. It marked Adell’s 31st home run of the season and his second in five games. He finished with three hits on the night, continuing a productive stretch at the plate.
Los Angeles extended its advantage in the seventh. Oswald Peraza ripped an RBI double down the left-field line to bring home Taylor Ward, then crossed the plate himself on a wild pitch to make it 4-1. An insurance run came in the ninth inning when Peraza scored again, this time on a misplayed ball in the outfield.
Lorenzen was tagged with the loss despite a strong showing. The right-hander allowed two runs on four hits across six innings, walking one and striking out five. His only major mistake came on Adell’s towering blast.
The Angels’ bullpen handled the rest after Farris departed. Three relievers combined to throw four scoreless innings, limiting Kansas City to just two hits over that stretch. The Royals finished with only three hits in the game, their offense held in check as they continued their push for a playoff spot.
Kansas City (64-63) remains 2 ½ games behind Seattle in the race for the final American League wild card. Los Angeles (58-70) has won three of its last five, though it remains well back in the standings.
Oddsmakers had the Royals listed as slight -120 favorites entering the matchup, with the Angels at +100 underdogs. The over/under was set at 8.5 runs, but the contest stayed well under as Farris and Lorenzen kept offenses quiet until late.
The series continues Wednesday night. Kansas City will start right-hander Ryan Bergert (2-1, 2.67 ERA), while the Angels send rookie right-hander Caden Dana (0-0, 7.50 ERA) to the mound. Both teams aim to set the tone ahead of the series finale.