Major League Baseball
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Washington 5, LA Angels 4
When: 7:05 PM ET, Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Where: Nationals Park, Washington, District of Columbia
Temperature: 54°
Umpires: Home - Paul Emmel, 1B - Toby Basner, 2B - Jordan Baker, 3B - Jerry Meals
Attendance: 22504


Nationals 5, Angels 4: Adam LaRoche's single capped a four-run, ninth-inning rally as host Washington stunned Los Angeles.

Angels closer Ernesto Frieri (0-2) began the ninth by surrendering a homer to Jose Lobaton on an 0-2 pitch before yielding a one-out single to Denard Span and a walk to Anthony Rendon. Jayson Werth smacked a game-tying double inside the third-base bag before the Angels turned to Fernando Salas, who promptly allowed LaRoche's opposite-field base hit that easily scored Werth.

One night after hitting his 499th and 500th career home runs, Los Angeles slugger Albert Pujols had a single and an RBI double, giving him multiple hits for the fourth time in his last seven games, during which he has raised his average from .237 to .284. Erick Aybar and Mike Trout also chipped in two hits and an RBI for the Angels, who wasted a second straight strong outing from Jered Weaver.

The Angels, who won the first two games of the series, trailed 1-0 in the sixth when Pujols' hard-hit RBI double to left ended Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez's evening. Aaron Barrett came on and recorded an out before yielding the go-ahead, opposite-field single to Aybar.

Los Angeles added a seventh-inning run on a wild pitch, and Trout delivered an RBI single in the ninth to seemingly create plenty of extra cushion for Frieri, who now has a 9.35 ERA and has surrendered five home runs in 8 2/3 innings. LaRoche finished 3-for-5 while Danny Espinosa added two hits for Washington and Drew Storen (2-0) finished off the top of the ninth to earn the victory.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Weaver allowed one run over six innings, yielding seven hits and a walk with two strikeouts. Gonzalez surrendered two runs and four hits in five-plus innings and also drove in Washington's first run. ... Trout doubled and walked against Gonzalez after entering 0-for-9 with six strikeouts against him. ... Los Angeles (10-11) wasted a chance to move above .500 for the first time since starting 1-0 last season.
Top Game Performances
Starting Pitchers
LA Angels   Washington
Jered Weaver Player Gio Gonzalez
No Decision W/L No Decision
6.0 IP 5.0
2 Strikeouts 5
7 Hits 4
1.50 ERA 3.60
Hitting
LA Angels   Washington
Erick Aybar Player Adam LaRoche
2 Hits 3
1 RBI 1
0 HR 0
2 TB 3
.500 Avg .600
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Hits HR TB Avg LOB K RBI BB SB Errors
LA Angels 8 0 11 .258 19 8 3 8 0 1
Washington 11 1 15 .297 18 4 5 3 1 1