The Pittsburgh Pirates secured a 3-0 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday night at Angel Stadium, propelled by a commanding performance from starting pitcher Andrew Heaney and a mammoth home run by shortstop Oneil Cruz. The win clinched Pittsburgh’s first road series victory of the 2025 season, following their 9-3 win in the series opener.
Heaney Commands the Mound in Return to Anaheim
Making his first start at Angel Stadium since being traded away by Los Angeles, Andrew Heaney (2-1) delivered a near-flawless performance. The veteran left-hander retired the first 13 batters he faced and struck out nine over six innings, yielding just one hit and no walks. Heaney struck out the side in the first and second innings and completed four perfect frames before surrendering a double to Travis d’Arnaud in the fifth.
The Angels’ offense was largely silenced, recording only two hits in the game. Their final baserunner came in the ninth inning, but reliever Dennis Santana shut the door with a popout from Mike Trout, securing his third save of the season.
Cruz Delivers Record-Shattering Blast
Oneil Cruz provided the offensive highlight with a towering solo home run in the fifth inning, estimated at 463 feet to straightaway center field. It marked the fourth-longest home run in Major League Baseball this season, only trailing shots by Mike Trout (484 feet), Aaron Judge (468), and Christian Yelich (465). Cruz’s blast was his sixth of the year, adding to his growing tally of 12 RBIs.
The Pirates also added runs on a sacrifice fly from Bryan Reynolds in the third and an RBI single by Tommy Pham in the ninth. Pham’s insurance run scored Adam Frazier, who had reached on a single and stolen second base.
Kochanowicz Shows Efficiency Despite Loss
Angels starter Jack Kochanowicz (1-3) took the loss but kept the game within reach. The right-hander pitched six innings, giving up eight hits and two earned runs while striking out three. Kochanowicz has now allowed five home runs across 25 innings this season.
Despite their defensive struggles, the Angels turned three double plays in the game, maintaining their position as the MLB leader in double plays turned with 27.
Trout Continues to Struggle Offensively
Mike Trout’s offensive slump continued as he went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. His recent struggles at the plate have contributed to a team-wide offensive downturn, with Los Angeles losing seven of their last nine games.
Looking Ahead
The Pirates will send right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski (1-3, 7.41 ERA) to the mound for the series finale. The Angels will counter with left-hander Tyler Anderson (2-0, 2.08 ERA) to avoid a sweep and reignite their offense.
Game Odds
While specific betting odds for Wednesday’s game were not publicly available at press time, the Angels were slight favorites on most sportsbooks due to their home-field advantage and Tyler Anderson’s strong start to the season.