Angels' Nolasco shuts out Reds
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Los Angeles Angels right-hander Ricky Nolasco needed just 94 pitches to shut out the Cincinnati Reds 3-0 Wednesday afternoon at Angel Stadium.
With the win, the Angels swept the three-game series, outscoring the Reds by a combined 16-4, while earning their fifth straight victory overall. The Reds are losers of four in a row.
Nolasco (5-12), who gave up just four hits while striking out seven without walking a batter, earned his first win with the Angels after four losses since being acquired from the Minnesota Twins in a deadline deal on Aug. 1.
Nolsaco threw his fifth career shutout, his first since Sept. 9, 2012, when he blanked the Washington Nationals while pitching for the Miami Marlins.
Angels first baseman C.J. Cron drove in two of the Angels' three runs with RBI singles in the sixth and eighth innings.
Both Nolasco and Reds starters Brandon Finnegan (8-10) cruised through the first five innings before the Angels broke through.
With one out in the sixth, Andrelton Simmons doubled to center. After a flyout, Cron singled home Simmons. Jefry Marte followed with a double to deep right. Cron came all the way around to score from first, and Marte was thrown out at third to end the inning after the run crossed the plate.
Finnegan struck out nine in seven effective innings. He allowed two runs on five hits and no walks.
The Angels added an insurance run in the eighth. Nick Buss hit a one-out double off Raisel Iglesias, and he scored in Cron's two-out single.
The Reds' best early chance against Nolasco came in the third inning. Ramon Cabrera got to second, hitting an infield single to third base and advancing on Marte's throwing error. Billy Hamilton's groundout to the right side moved the runner to third, but Nolasco escaped trouble by inducing another groundout from Zack Cozart.
NOTES: Angels DH Albert Pujols sat out Wednesday, and manager Mike Scioscia said the slugger has been playing through plantar fasciitis in his right foot for several weeks. The ailment wasn't hurting Pujols' bat, as the veteran has hit .368 (21-for-57) with five homers and 14 RBIs in his past 14 games. ... Los Angeles CF Mike Trout also didn't play Wednesday, the first time since Sept. 18, 2014, that both he and Pujols weren't in the starting lineup. Both Trout and Pujols are expected back in the lineup Friday when the Angels play the Mariners in Seattle. ... The Reds adjusted their rotation because of RHP Homer Bailey's right biceps tendinitis. RHP Dan Straily will move up a day and pitch Saturday against the St. Louis Cardinals. RHP Tim Adleman will pitch Sunday's game.