ANAHEIM — The Angels were able to sleep soundly Tuesday night and not just because they gave blankets to everybody in attendance.
Zach Neto’s go-ahead two-run double in the seventh inning sent the Angels to a 4-2 victory over the San Diego Padres and the team’s first home series win in 10 tries this season.
For two months, opponents streamed into Angel Stadium only to get stronger with more victories than defeats. Health plans don’t treat visitors this well.
This time, the Angels had their own cure by following a series-opening 2-1 victory on Monday with Tuesday’s operational success that was finished off with a three-run seventh.
Yet, while it all worked out in the end, not everybody in red was able to vanquish their home hexes.
Even as Patrick Sandoval’s arsenal improves, the curse of the home mound only gets stronger in defiance of the Angels left-hander.
Sandoval was left with a no-decision despite allowing just one run on four hits over six innings. If there was a slight flaw, the outing was completed with a somewhat inefficient 100 pitches. But in striking out seven against one walk, Sandoval was operating on his terms.
He was left without a win in seven home starts this season. Add the four home outings without a win to close last season and it is an 11-game run since he last crafted a win while standing on the pile of dirt he knows best.
The outing did set the table for the Angels’ late rally, and back-to-back victories for the first time since May 19-20. The last time they won more than two games in a row was the opening days of April.
After throwing his new sweeper 21 times against the New York Yankees last week, when he gave up just two runs over six innings in an outing he would lose, Sandoval threw it 10 more times Tuesday. It means he has thrown 43 sweepers in three starts after using the new pitch 15 times in his first 10 starts.
But the Angels’ offense was facing its own unknown quantity. Padres right-hander Adam Mazur made his major league debut and matched Sandoval with one run allowed over six innings. Mazur gave up just two hits, but allowed four walks with two strikeouts.
The Angels’ lone run off Mazur came in the third inning to counter a run by the Padres in the top of the frame. Luis Guillorme walked with one out, went to second on a Nolan Schanuel ground out and scored on a Luis Rengifo single to center.
The Angels’ productive seventh inning started with a leadoff walk by Willie Calhoun against Padres left-hander Yuki Matsui. Logan O’Hoppe followed with an infield single that was originally called an out at first base but was overturned on replay.
Jo Adell walked to load the bases before Mickey Moniak grounded into a fielder’s choice, with pinch runner Cole Tucker out at home. Neto’s line-drive double over the head of Padres left-fielder Jurickson Profar put the Angels ahead 3-1, with Moniak later scoring on a wild pitch.
The Padres got a run back in the eighth on a Jake Cronenworth RBI single against Luis Garcia, before Hunter Strickland got Ha-Seong Kim to pop out with two runners aboard.
Matt Moore (2-2) followed Sandoval with a scoreless inning to pick up the win and Carlos Estevez pitched the ninth inning for his 10th save in 13 chances.
More to come on this story.