Angels go from blowout win to one-run loss against Rockies

DENVER — The Angels could have used a few runs from their record-setting offensive show the night before.

After beating the Colorado Rockies by 24 runs on Saturday night, the Angels lost a one-run decision 4-3 on Sunday, dropping the weekend series two games to one.

The Rockies were up 3-2 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning when they took advantage of an error to score an unearned run. Angels reliever Jose Soriano issued a two-out walk to Brenton Doyle and then bounced an attempted pickoff throw that got past first baseman Hunter Renfroe, allowing Doyle to advance to third. Ezequiel Tovar, who homered earlier in the game, then slashed an RBI single to right.

The Angels nearly pulled it out in the ninth. Eduardo Escobar hit a two-out triple off Justin Lawrence and Mickey Moniak followed with an RBI double. After Matt Thaiss was walked intentionally, pinch hitter Luis Rengifo hit a slow roller down the third base line that a charging Ryan McMahon fielded before throwing to first to get Rengifo by a half a step for the game’s final out.

The night before, the Angels had won 25-1, setting several club records.

Tyler Anderson (4-2), who spent the first four years of his career with the Rockies after they drafted him in the first round in 2011, had a solid outing against his former team Sunday. He struck out nine in six innings and allowed three runs on four hits, including a home run by Ezequiel Tovar in the bottom of the fifth inning that made it 3-0.

The Angels broke through for a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning. Taylor Ward doubled off Austin Gomber (5-7) to start the inning, driving a liner that right fielder Nolan Jones momentarily had in his glove only to have it pop out when he crashed into the wall. Shohei Otani followed with a run-scoring triple to the left-center field gap, and after Mike Trout was hit by a pitch, Ohtani scored on Brandon Drury’s sacrifice fly.

More to come on this story.