Kyren Paris hit a solo home run on the first pitch following a lengthy weather delay, helping the Los Angeles Angels secure a 3-2 win over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Field. The victory gave the Angels momentum heading into a road trip, while the White Sox were left to reflect on a missed opportunity to close out the home series on a high note.
The decisive moment came in the top of the eighth inning after a rain delay that lasted nearly three hours. Paris, a second-round draft pick in 2019 who is beginning his second season with the Angels, connected on a fastball from reliever Jordan Leasure and sent it into the left-field seats for his first home run of the season. He had hit only one home run in 51 at-bats last year.
Los Angeles closer Kenley Jansen navigated a tense bottom of the ninth to secure the save. Jansen allowed a leadoff double to Andrew Vaughn and issued a walk to Matt Thaiss, putting the tying and winning runs on base. However, the veteran right-hander retired Miguel Vargas on a popup and induced a game-ending double play from Brooks Baldwin to seal the win.
The Angels took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning. Mike Trout recorded his first hit of the season with a single that helped load the bases. Jorge Soler drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, and Yoán Moncada followed with an RBI groundout. Trout’s return to form was a positive development for the Angels after his slow start to the season.
Chicago answered quickly. Nick Maton led off the bottom of the first with a solo home run, his first in the majors from that position. Later in the inning, Luis Robert Jr. singled and eventually scored on a two-out single from Thaiss, tying the game at 2-2.
Rain halted play in the bottom of the seventh with one out, moments after Thaiss had doubled off reliever Ryan Zeferjahn. Ben Joyce entered the game after the delay and struggled with command initially, walking Vargas and throwing a wild pitch that moved both runners into scoring position. Despite the pressure, Joyce retired the next two batters to end the threat.
White Sox starting pitchers completed the three-game series without allowing an earned run. Davis Martin pitched six innings on Sunday, surrendering two unearned runs. The performance followed strong outings from Sean Burke and Jonathan Cannon earlier in the series.
Looking ahead, the White Sox will continue their homestand with a series against the Minnesota Twins. Left-hander Martín Pérez is scheduled to make his season debut for Chicago. The Angels, meanwhile, will travel to St. Louis to face the Cardinals. Left-hander Tyler Anderson is expected to make his first start of the season for Los Angeles.
Early betting lines list the Cardinals as slight favorites at home, with moneyline odds around -115, while the Angels come in at approximately +105. The over/under for Monday’s game is projected at 8.5 runs.